Trapped in Time
by Dextolan
Summary: Spencer's day starts going from bad to worse. It doesn't help matters when the day restarts. He's stuck in a time loop and as every day ends so does the lives of those he holds dearest. Spencer must find a way to save them all before the day ends.
1. Day 1

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)**

 **I have no idea if there is another criminal minds fic like this, but I was just lay in bed and had an idea. I read a book several years ago called "Before I fall", it's amazing and in the style of ground hog day, where the day ends and restarts again. If you've seen the actual "groundhog day" or "live, die, repeat (day after tomorrow)" then you.l get what I'm going for. I love the whole concept of living a day over and over and so I thought why not make a criminal minds fic on the concept, and here it is.**

 **There will be 6 chapters, maybe more. I'm trying to condense this story, oh and BTW be prepared for characters death (you'll see what I mean soon enough).**

 **Please tell me what you think in the reviews.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Spencer's alarm went off and he rolled over groggily, slamming his slender fingers on the off button and collapsing back onto his pillows. He closed his eyes for a second, remembering every part of his strange dream. He cracked his eyes open and glanced at the alarm clock; 6.27am it read, beneath it stood the date Monday 13th of September. He sighed, heaving himself from bed, perching on the edge and rubbing his eyes. He kept his eyes closed as he stood up, opening them just in time to witness his hip connect painfully with his chest of drawers. He clamped his hand over his mortal wound, hissing in pain and cursing the inanimate object.

He shuffled into his bathroom, turning the shower on and discarding his pyjamas in the laundry basket. The hot steam closed in on him, waking him up and shooing away the slight nausea he had been experiencing. He washed his hair quickly and slipped out, grabbing his tooth brush and scrubbing away the fuzzy feeling that had developed on his teeth over night.

He bounced back into his bedroom, stubbing his toe on a book. Spencer reeled back in frustration, hopping around on one foot and picking out his outfit for the day.

He selected a light grey shirt, decorated with tiny black umbrellas. He fastened a dark grey tie around his neck and threw on a red cardigan, buttoning it over his shirt. He matched this with a pair of grey pants.

He skidded into the kitchen and started to brew some coffee. He returned to his room and pulled on a pink sock he found under a book and a yellow one with navy turtles across it.

Spencer paused in front of a mirror, flicking his drying hair around until he was satisfied, hoping it would dry the way he'd styled it. He glanced at the time; 6.52am.

He heard the ping of the coffee machine and he rolled into the kitchen, expertly pouring himself a mug, and corrupting it with several teaspoons of sugar.

He took his coffee to the couch and opened the book he'd started the night before. _I'll just finish this and then I'll head to work_ , he decided, flicking through the pages at lightening speed.

He got to his desk by 7.41, glancing at the files on his and his co-workers desk. He _loved_ an early start.

Hotch was already in, pouring over a thick file in his office.

JJ came not long after Reid, throwing her bag down and making herself a mug of coffee.

Emily and Rossi were next, chatting about Rossi's new car. They were shortly followed by Garcia who waved at them all before disappearing into her lair.

Morgan, of course, was last, coming in with 5 minutes to spare from being late. Morgan made coffee and was frisking the first file on his desk (Spencer finishing his last), he glanced over at Spencer's finished pile of paperwork and poured.

"Hey pretty boy, you look a little lonely without any work to..."

"Uh uh, Morgan, you can do your own." Spencer said simply, turning a few pages at once of a book he found in his drawer.

"I still think you should be given more", huffed Morgan, storming back to his desk and painfully lifting the top of a file. Luckily as he peeked into the file Garcia bumbled in with her usual wad of files.

"This is a local one my lovelies, so leave your go bags and move your butts!" Shrilled the glitter clad tech analyst.

The team were briefed and set to work. They established that their killer was a middle age male Caucasian, who had a classic God complex, believing himself to be an equal to God's power. He was very organised, having once killed 6 victims in their home in Virginia, all of whom were adults. He also proved he could take on stronger individuals targeting houses belonging to law enforcement officers. The case had been ongoing and the police had finally (and reluctantly), decided to give the case to the FBI.

Reid got up, figuring it was as good a time as any to start his geographical profile.

"Hey Reid, could you take the files you filled out this morning down to the third floor. In fact take all the ones you guys finished, excluding Morgan who I doubt did any", Hotch raised his eyebrows at the darker agent who could only smirk.

"Uh sure." Spencer tore himself away from the board with reluctance and headed over to his desk, where his finished stack of paperwork stood.

"Need any help, Spence?" JJ asked watching her friend struggle through the door with the mountain of work.

"No thanks, I'm good. I think." He added, barely making it through the glass doors, he was walked to the elevator with his arms full of files. He looked over the pile just to see the doors of the elevator snap shut.

"Urgh, No!" He moaned. He glanced back up to the conference room. Hotch was the only one still in there, the others had gone to their desks to grab a few things, or in Emily's case, restock herself with coffee. Reid's feet tapped impatiently, he huffed and made his way to the staircase, not wanting to stand around much longer.

He managed to get through the door without incident; the files still towering in his arms. He looked down the steep flight of stairs. Spencer swallowed thickly and took a step forward, gazing at the 10 flights below him.

He took another step when his foot suddenly slipped from beneath him. He barely had a chance to gasp as the ground disappeared. It soon reappeared, slamming into his back. Spencer held on to the files as he tumbled down the steps. With each bounce and yelp several files flew from his grasp. After around 3 steps, Reid forgot about the files and tried to stop his fall, flailing his arms out. Somewhere along the way his eyes closed. All he could think was the amount of noise he must be making. A savaging agony tore through his ribs as they connected with the hard concrete steps, he cried out. The cry was cut short when Spencer's head cracked harshly on the corner of a step, knocking him out cold.

Spencer's body barged to a stop as it came into contact with the wall at the bottom of the first flight of stairs. Spencer collapsed back to the ground.

* * *

Spencer cracked his eyes open, groaning in pain as light flooded his vision, as opposed to the comforting darkness he'd been enjoying just moments ago.

"Spence? Are you alright?" Spencer closed his eyes against the prying light and flipped himself over, forcing his arms under him and pushing himself up, he reopened his eyes to find files littering the stairwell. He rolled up his sleeve and found a long red mark that was purpling and the side of his head was throbbing intensely. He touched his chest when his ribs had been hit, but he wouldn't expose his stomach to his team.

"Hey kid, are you hurt?" Spencer squinted up to see Rossi hovering a couple of steps away and JJ perched next to him, the door was about to swing open again so Spencer jolted to his feet.

"I'm okay, just sore", he mumbled, stretching his limbs and wincing. Morgan and Prentiss came through the door looking extremely worried, before they could ask Reid said, "I'm fine, honestly. I just slipped. I think the top step's wet, watch out", he warned, as Morgan made his way gingerly down, and glanced at the bottom of his shoe which was in fact wet.

"Stupid cleaners," he growled. "Where the hells the sign?"

"These stairs are probably never used, they wouldn't expect..."

"Don't excuse them Reid", chided Emily, as she too tutted at the slippery step and set to work helping JJ collect the files.

"Sorry," Reid mumbled, pressing the side of his head gently and grimacing when his fingers connected with a small lump forming a little below his temple.

"How about I take the files down and you go get a coffee?" JJ suggested taking the files from Emily.

"Uh, shouldn't he go to the hospital?" Emily frowned, and Spencer shook his head vigorously at her. She held her hands up in surrender. "Alright, suit yourself!" She laughed.

"Let's go get you an ice pack, man", said Morgan, throwing a protective arm around Spencer.

"And coffee?" Spencer added hopefully. Morgan smiled.

"And coffee." He confirmed. Morgan helped Reid stumble up a few steps, but the younger agent insisted he could walk just fine on his own.

Before long Spencer was sat in his chair in the conference room with 2 ice packs, one for his ribs and the other for his head. He almost laughed when Morgan served him his coffee.

"I know you only like a little bit of coffee with your sugar", chuckled the older agent, handing Spencer a big tub of sugar and a teaspoon.

"I should fall down the stairs more often", Reid joked.

"Ah, don't get used to it pretty boy", Morgan licked his lips and tapped the back of Reid's head playfully.

"What happened to you?" Hotch frowned as he entered the room and saw Spencer holding an ice pack over his ribs, another lay dripping on the table.

"Uh, I had a mishap with the stairs", he confessed, blood rushing to his cheeks. Hotch scowled at the bruise forming on Reid's face, but let it go seeing as the agent was already working again.

Spencer decided to stay in the conference room for a while after that. By lunch he finally built up the courage to retrieve his sandwich and a coffee refill.

Rossi and JJ left to interview some of the victim's families, whereas, Emily and Morgan spoke to key witnesses.

Reid remained behind, discussing with Garcia, and feeding information to her from the others.

Spencer (bored with his current job), started filling a clear board full of equations. He frowned when something didn't seem to add up.

He pulled over the map and pinned the recent murder sights. He mumbled randomly to himself as the others discussed the profile.

Their unsub was pretty easy to profile, but he always seemed to get away with his kills, leaving little evidence, except notes to taunt those that hunted him.

"He's a slippy bastard", grunted Morgan. He glanced at the clock and sighed when he saw it read 7.10pm. He wasn't going home early.

Reid scowled at the map. He'd pinned where the next kill sight would be. He was certain it would be there, he'd bet his life on it. But it all came together so easily for him. It was blantently obvious that this would be the next location, which was what worried him so much.

"Hey, genius, can you possibly return to your body and tell us what you've found?" Rossi smirked, Spencer continued to stare at the board, his eyes narrowed and his mouth bobbing open and closed with thought.

"Re..." Rossi started again, but Spencer turned around, snapping out of his daze.

"I think I've found the next location. And based on the time frame he won't have hit it yet." He rambled.

"Seriously? We have him then!" Morgan clasped his hands together.

"Wait, wait. How did you figure that out?" Emily questioned, crossing her arms.

"An Adrian Shepard and his wife live there. Mr Shepard is on the Virginia police force." Garcia informed them, turning her computer screen around.

"I asked her to check out the location", Spencer explained to their confused faces. "That matchs with our Unsub's victimology. He has hit houses belonging to officers as well as higher authority figures. It also fits in with his God complex. He's proving that he is the highest authority. As for the geographical profile, that is mostly maths and a bit of science. I could explain it if you'd..."

"That's alright Reid. What's the address?" Morgan asked, hopping from his seat.

"Brookebanks farmhouse, Garcia, can you send it to..."

"Already done my gorgeous brainiac," grinned Garcia.

"Spencer are you sure about this location?" Spencer gave him a look that made him smirk. "Of course you are", he chuckled, strapping a vest on.

"Reid, Prentiss and Rossi take the first SUV. Morgan and JJ, you're with me, let's head out and catch our unsub."

* * *

"Emily and I will head around back", Rossi said, gun raised, 'FBI' emblazoned on his chest as he strutted around the back of the building, with Emily in the same stance at his heals.

"JJ and I will take the side entrances, Morgan, you and Reid try the front." With that Morgan and Reid were left on the drought ridden land, their guns still holstered.

"You knock, I'll kick it down", Morgan said simply, pulling his gun out. Spencer nodded and made his way to the door. He gave it a loud thud and called, "FBI, come out with your hands up!". No answer.

Morgan raised his foot and slammed it into the door frame. The door fell open like a dead weight, smacking hard against the wall.

"I guess it was open", whispered Reid, grinning from ear to ear.

Morgan went to punch the genius playfully when a 'ziiiippp' flew through the air, halting with a dull, wet thud. Spencer staggered back, pain erupting across his shoulder. He pressed his fingers to the pain and gasped when they traced a small bloody hole in the meaty part of his shoulder.

"Shit!" Hissed Morgan, pulling himself and Spencer down and looking over at the bloody young man. Spencer was drained of colour and his eyes were focused on the blood streaming from his wound.

Fearful of another bullet, Morgan grabbed Spencer's legs and pulled him behind a nearby couch. Spencer got his arms under himself and with great effort, he helped get behind the couch.

"I'm okay, Derek," winced Spencer as the older agent looked over the hole. Morgan ducked down and pulled out his radio.

"Hotch? Are you there?"

"What is it Morgan? We heard a struggle..."

"He's in here Hotch, and he's armed. Spencer's been shot", Morgans eyes flutter to the younger agent, who was holding his hand tight against the wound and looking back up at Morgan with determination.

"Shit, where?" "Is he okay?" "How?" "Is he conscious?", several voices came through at once.

"He's alright at the moment", Morgan replied.

"We're going in", that was Rossi's voice.

Rossi and Prentiss opened the back door cautiously, aiming their guns around. They heard the muffled whimpers from the front room. Assuming it was their youngest, they began to make their way over.

The slamming of the back door made them spin around _. Only wind,_ thought Emily. She was about to turn back when she felt something sharp pierce into her back. She yelped and swayed slightly, before crashing to the floor. She gagged as something metallic filled her mouth.

Rossi fired several shots into the dark corridor, glancing down at Emily who had stopped struggling and was completely still.

"No", he whispered, kneeling down beside the fallen agent.

As his knees bent another 'zip', soared through the air. Rossi's head snapped back as a bullet caught him between the eyes.

"Rossi are you in? Who fired?" Hotch muttered into his radio. "Dave?" Still no answer. He frowned

"Emily?" Morgans voice broke in on the radio. Neither agents replied.

Hotch turned to JJ, "go check around back, I'll take this entrance". JJ nodded at the order man and slunk off to the back door. "And be careful", Hotch barked as she disappeared.

Hotch tried the door, but it wouldn't budge. He sighed, taking a step back and then ramming his body into the door. The door gave way with a groan. The house was silent. _Not a good sign_. Hotch crept along the wall, his eyes skirting the front room and catching sight of movement behind the couch.

"Morgan?" He hissed, Morgan's head peered over the top, relief washing over them both. Hotch darted behind the soft yellow couch, taking in the two agents. Spencer was bleeding heavily, but his eyes were wide and alert and he was moving and breathing with little hinderance.

"You alright Reid?" Hotch asked the young man who nodded weakly. The radio started to crackle and the three looked at each other nervously.

"Hotch! Morgan, Reid?" JJ's desperate voice crackled to their ears.

"I've got them JJ", Hotch reassured.

"Hotch, Rossi and Emily are down! They're...oh god, no, no!" Her voice cracked naturally without the radio's interference.

"JJ find a pulse. Have they both been shot?"

"N..no pulse, Hotch. They're dead! Oh god! Hotch they're..." the radio cut out suddenly, a dull whack echoing over the intercom.

"JJ?" Spencer whispered into his own radio. No answer. Static blared through.

"Jenifer!?" He sobbed.

JJ grasped her throat where the bullet had buried its teeth. She gagged on the blood flooding her mouth and dancing over her tongue. She couldn't breath. She sunk deeper over Emily's body, which she had been knelt next to in order to find a pulse that no longer existed.

Her mind flickered to images of her son and her husband. She prayed they would be okay.

"Henry.." she gargled, fighting the agony and blood that was swamping her.

She rasped out a wet breath. A second bullet entered her skull.

The gasping stopped.

"JENIFER!" Shrieked Spencer, who was growing paler.

"I'm going in there" snapped Morgan.

"No, you wait here with Spencer. We can't leave him alone", the two older agents shared a look, their eyes glancing over to Reid and then back at each other.

"Fine", hissed Morgan.

Hotch got up and slowly stepped into the corridor.

Rossi, Emily and JJ were lay in the back utility room, the kitchen stood next to the room and a corridor connected the kitchen with 2 bedrooms and the living room where Morgan and Reid currently resided.

Hotch flung open the first bedroom door. Once he was happy that it was clear, he moved on the the second bedroom. His eyes caught something lit up in the room. With a frown laden on his features, he carefully made his way to the flashing device, shutting the door slightly so he was aware of any movement. He lent down to examine the item and almost jumped back in shock. A quiet beeping was radiating from the device; it read 4.39 and was slowly counting down.

 _A bomb._

He was so lost in shock and fear, Hotch didn't notice the door tip toe open, nor did he see the figure waiting, with a gun poised on the unit chief. Hotch went to grab his radio when a whooshing of air skimmed by his ears and pain erupted over his thigh. He swivelled round and fired off his own shot, landing it in the unsub's arm. Unfortunately, the unsub also managed to pull off a second shot, this one landing in Hotch's abdomen.

Hotch felt himself falling down, though his fingers still tried to grasp for a better hold on his gun.

Hotch reached out for his weopen that had slipped from his fingers. The figure in the door had vanished and a sudden, overwhelming panic took hold of the unit chief.

"Morgan, get out of here! There's a bomb!" He shouted into his radio.

Morgan gazed over to Spencer.

"Can you stand?" He asked and Spencer nodded vigorously, getting to his feet and staying low.

"We're gonna catch this son of a bitch. Stay behind me", Morgan got up slowly, helping the young agent up further. He gave Reid a sad look, hoping against all hope that he would see those tawny eyes again.

"Oh and Spencer," Reid looked over to his friend, fighting tears. "We might not like what we see."

"Hotch, we're coming. Where's the unsub?"

A very weak Hotch responded through the radio.

"No! Morgan, get yourself and Reid out of there! That's an order!"

"We are not leaving you!" Morgan insisted, beginning their trek down the hallway, stealing looks back at Reid who wasn't coping too well.

Hot.." Morgan froze, he swore something moved in the dimly lit kitchen ahead. Forgetting Spencer was behind him, he rushed for the room, firing at the figure ahead of him.

"Morgan wait!" Yelled Spencer, trudging into the room as fast as he could.

Spencer heard a familiar 'whiz' shoot through the air, he prepared for the pain, but none arrived. He opened his eyes in time to see Morgan stumble backwards, his gun sliding across the laminated tiles.

"NO!" Shrieked Reid as his best friend's body crumbled to the ground, a thick, viscous pool of crimson erupting from the gunshot wound.

"No, no, no!" Yelped Spencer, skidding over to Morgan and kneeling down beside the older agent. Morgan's eyes were open wide and Spencer's heart fluttered with hope. He grabbed Morgan's shoulders; the man flopped around like a fish out of water.

"Oh..." gasped Reid, his eyes skimming the hole that sat in the centre of Derek's chest. Morgan's eyes remained staring; though they were open, they were unresponsive, cloudy and dead. The life had already left them.

"Mooorgan!" Reid's voice broke as he called out to his dead team mate. He wrapped his arms around Derek's thick, dark, muscular ones; they were already beginning to feel colder. "Please d...don't leave me too", Spencer sobbed into Derek's neck, snuggling himself close to his friend, filled with a childish desire that he could somehow bring Derek back from the dead.

Spencer screamed into the man's clothes, allowing tears to fall. He didn't care that the unsub was still there; he wanted the son of a bitch to come and shoot him; he needed the pain to go away.

"I..I can't..." he cried into Morgan, who was growing colder and paler, blood still leaking from his chest. Spencer barely noticed the increasing pain in his shoulder.

The unsub held the gun to the boy who was grasping the beefy, black man, sobbing unindurably over his body. He pulled the trigger and the gun clicked softly, alerting him that bullets were out of stock. He shrugged and glanced at his watch; 1.54 seconds, _that's enough time,_ he thought, shoving his hands in his pockets and plodding away from the scene. The agent inside wouldn't bother him.

Spencer rocked gently, holding onto the warmth Morgan still had.

"Don't g-go..." he wailed.

The radio murmered to life. "Morgan? Reid? I-is anyone...a-a-alive?", Hotch's voice choked through.

Hotch watched the radio, but it didn't reply to his pleas. He could hear soft crying from the room ahead. Aaron sighed, he had failed his team. He glanced at the bomb; 37 seconds. He felt a tear slide down his cheeks. He looked at his wounds. _Die now,_ he begged his body. His eyes fearfully traced the diminishing numbers on the bomb. _Die, please, die._ Aaron's body didn't give in to his demands. He remained breathing even as the clock struck 0.

The unsub paused a good distance from the house, the young agent didn't exit. He gleamed when an explosion rocked the very earth his feet stood on. The farmhouse was obliterated, along with the agents inside.

Reid felt an unbearable pain rip through him, as if he was being torn apart; though nothing could compare to the agonising pain his friend's death had caused.

Suddenly - all pain vanquished - he felt as if he was floating, everything was white and tranquil.

Spencer Reid shot up from under his covers, gasping for breath and holding his chest tightly, peering down to see if he had in fact been ripped apart. He was one piece.

He glanced at his clock; 6:27am it read. Beneath it was a small Callender which revealed it was Monday 13th of September. Reid frowned, _yesterday was Monday,_ he thought.

 _Morgan!_ His whole body became taunt. _Emily, Rossi, JJ, Hotch!_ He grabbed his cell from his table dialling his best friends number.

"It was just a nightmare, just a nightmare. They.. they're fine..." he stammered to himself, biting his lip as the phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

 _But it felt so real_ , he thought, his eyes narrowing in pain.

Third ring.

"Reid? It's like 6 in the morning, man."

TBC

* * *

 **So that's chapter one and day one complete. Things will start strange now.**

 **I know this may not be accurate, as in the team wouldn't go alone to the sight, they'd have more backup. But just ignore that because none of this story is supposed to be accurate, I mean time loops are not real. Right?...**

 **I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter may not be tomorrow. I think I'll take this story slower.**

 **Thanks for reading, please review, I will see you soon with Day 2. (Hey! I'm a poet and I didn't know it)**


	2. Day 2

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)**

 **Here's Day 2, if you don't understand what's happening just yet you soon will.**

 **Please read and review, and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Reid answer me!"

Spencer's mouth bobbed open and closed as his best friends voice berated his ears with factious, angry growls.

"It's 6.30, why the hell are you calling me?" Morgan grumbled down the phone and Spencer heard shuffling as Morgan no doubt pushed his sheets off.

Morgan? Morgan!

He felt his heart soar. Just a dream, he thought to himself, a nightmarish, surprisingly realistic dream, but obviously a dream no less.

"I-I... was...khm making sure..." Spencer's words began to trip over themselves as he tried to explain.

"Are you alright?" Morgan asked, sounding less annoyed than his sleepy grumbles. "You sound like you've just run a mile or somin... which is... not like you," Morgan said slowly as Spencer continued to splutter, trying to come up with some kind of reasoning for waking up the older agent.

"I-I hadadreamandfeltrealand-."

"Slow down kid." Morgan's voice became softer and Spencer calmed ever so slightly and took a quick breath, reassuring himself that if Morgan was here then so was the rest of his team and therefore it was a dream, a spiteful, terrifying dream.

"I... I had a nightmare. I had to call...make sure..."

"You wanna talk about it?" Morgan, unknown to Spencer, was sat up in his bed, wide awake now and anxious as he drew his feet slowly down onto the floor.

"No. No, it's fine... thank you. I just had to call you... make sure you were alright." Spencer sighed deeply into his phone and closed his eyes. "It felt so real," he said in a quiet breath.

"Well, I'm here if you wanna talk about it. Right now though, I'm going back to sleep for an hour, and for waking me up you can do some of my paperwork. See ya later, pretty boy," the older agent said with a hint of a snicker and Spencer could practically hear the grin of satisfaction on Morgan's face before he hung up. Reid couldn't help smiling himself, even though he'd just earned himself more work.

"It was just a nightmare," he said reassuringly while he rubbed his face. He laughed at the absurdity. He needed to keep control of these nightmares. Gideon had taught him how, once upon a time, but Spencer's solid gold memory seemed to be failing him on that front

Spencer got up out of bed. He was still wiping his eyes when his hip connected painfully with the chest of drawers. He held his side, getting a strong feeling of deja vu. He glared at the furniture as if it had grown a fist and punched him for no good reason.

He went through his normal morning routine. He cursed loudly when he stubbed his toe against a book on his way out of the bathroom and he grabbed it and slammed it down on his no good chest of drawers.

"There," he hissed, "you're made for each other."

He made it to work with no other incidents by 7.40 am.

He groaned when he saw Morgan's massive pile of work and he reluctantly slugged a few from the top.

Spencer opened his first file, setting aside the ones from Morgan's pile so as to prove he had indeed done as promised. He frowned as he flicked further through the pages. He was sure he'd done this exact file before. But it was impossible. He skimmed through the rest of his pile which only made his scowl deepen. He had read and finished all of the files. He shook his head, thinking it couldn't be right. In his nightmare, he had completed these _exact_ files.

Reid bit his lip, thinking hard. He couldn't understand the phenomenon that lay in front of his eyes. He glanced at Morgan's files and then back at his own and shrugged; he had too much to get on with- whether he was having severe deja vu or not- to investigate further.

He pulled out a pen and began filling in the paperwork; he remembered everything he'd written in his dream, so he was able to complete it quicker than he usually did. Within 20 minutes he was already onto Morgan's stack. He felt strangely exhilarated as if he had gained a supernatural power at writing paperwork, (his brain reminded him countlessly that was an impossibility.)

Spencer dumped Morgan's files back on the older agent's desk and opened up the book he had stashed in his drawer.

He opened it up to the bookmark and chewed his lip. He'd read this book in his dream as well.

"Hey pretty boy, I was only kidding!" said Morgan, his brow furrowing in shock when he saw the big pile of paperwork Spencer had done for him. Reid waved a hand, still nose deep in his book.

"I finished mine early and it's the least I could do," he said simply with a shrug.

Spencer sat up suddenly, realising he should take his files to the third floor. In his nightmare, Hotch had told him to and he'd slipped on the stairs. Since his dream was seeming scarily real he decided to get his files to their respected place without having to use the dreaded staircase.

He grabbed his files, taking JJ, Emily's and the small pile of Morgan's that he'd completed and he headed for the elevator.

"Woah. Hold your horse's, boy genius," Garcia placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "Case first. You can file them later."

Spencer sighed and placed the work back on his desk.

Spencer sat in the conference room, gaping down at his file. _Not possible,_ he thought. He read the file three times and knew without a doubt that this was the exact same case he'd profiled in his dream.

"You alright Reid?" Hotch asked, his eyebrows bending into their usual stance. The bewildered expression on his youngest agent's face was a little disconcerting.

"Uh yeah..." Spencer mumbled, glancing up into the professional faces of his co-workers. He knew he couldn't confess what was bothering him, it was too... strange.

If this was the same case as his dream then the location would be the same; he knew that he couldn't predict the future, but he had a feeling that if he did the math again, the location would lead to Brookbank farmhouse. He started running through the math when Hotch snapped him out of his thoughts.

"If you're sure. I need you to go drop your files off on the third floor. Take the others as well, I see even Derek had completed some." Hotch raised an eyebrow in Derek's direction, knowing full well that the agent hadn't been in early enough to complete his paperwork.

"Oh, right, yeah sure," Spencer stammered. He remembered Hotch asking the same thing in the nightmare he'd had. The coincidences were mounting up. He got up hurriedly and scurried about the bullpen grabbing the files he'd set down just 10 minutes before. His mind whirred with maths and he came to the same conclusion as he had in his dream: their ubsub was going to strike the farmhouse.

"Need help?" JJ asked.

Spencer looked around and saw the blonde bending down to reach something in her draw.

"Nope, I..." Spencer paused and looked over at the elevator. He recalled his nightmare and he wasn't ready to risk the stairs again. "Actually can you go hold the elevator?"

"Oh sure," JJ said and she hurried ahead of him and stuck her foot in the door.

"Thanks." Spencer offered her a grateful smile as she turned back before he sighed and repositioned the towering files.

Reid managed to make it to the third floor and back without a single accident although all the whole his mind had been on getting a map and finding the location he was sure could close the case. He returned to his desk and huffed. Things were going back to normal. Or at least normal for Spencer Reid.

He went to grab his mug and realised it was empty. He stared at the dark dregs mournfully. He knew for sure that he hadn't drunk it. He looked up and saw Morgan watching him from the corner of his eye with a grin and Spencer closed his mouth and set it in an angry line.

"Morgan! Was this you?" he snapped, slamming the mug on Morgan's desk. Morgan tried to keep his features neutral and appear innocent.

"Who me? Of course not," he smiled sweetly.

"Why?!"

"Well, I had two options, drink your coffee, or go to the kitchen, measure our the coffee, boil a new pot, wait for that and then have to clean it up when I was done. I needed coffee, kid, you left yours for the taking," Morgan said in his defense and he held his hands up in surrender. Spencer growled and stormed off to the break area.

"Oh, out of curiosity, how much sugar do you put in your coffee? Actually, let me rephrase, how much coffee do you have with your sugar?" Derek puckered his lips together as if he had a weird taste on his tongue. This only made Reid growl harder as he filled the coffee machine with hot water. He thought he may even have steam coming from his ears rather than the pot of boiling coffee.

Morgan chuckled to himself as he watched the genius prepare coffee. The coffee machine beeped to inform its user that it was ready for action. Spencer grabbed the pot and whipped around to where he'd left his mug only to smack into Anderson who had been going to get his own mug of coffee. Anderson's body collided with the coffee pot tipping it over the hand that was holding it. As the boiling liquid sloshed over his fingers, Reid yelped and dropped the pot. His yelp turned into an agonised shout and he clutched his hand.

Morgan glanced up to see Spencer drop the coffee and shake his hand out, whimpering in pain. _Shit,_ he thought, getting out of his chair and heading over to his friend.

"Shit, shit, shi..." Spencer cursed under his breath, waving his hand around frantically as it throbbed.

"Sorry, Dr. Reid. I wasn't looking where I...are you alright?" Anderson frowned anxiously at the agent who was bent double, clutching his blistering hand. Reid grunted in response, shaking his hand out while his face screwed up in pain.

"Agent M..Morgan, I...I didn't..."

Spencer interrupted Anderson's apology when he stumbled over to the sink, knocking the drying rack across the counter. He turned the faucet on all the while making deep grunting noises and jammed his right hand beneath the cold waterfall. His sigh came out along with a squeak as the chilled stream soothed his angry red skin.

"Reid, you alright man?" Morgan asked, placing a firm hand on Spencer's shoulder, which caused the young genius to jerk back.

"Oh. Uh. I'm fine?" He gritted his teeth and sounded unconvincing through the severe pain.

"No, you're not. Show me," Morgan ordered and he held his palm out expectantly. Spencer shook his head, his eyes wide and scared.

"Can't, Morgan. Burns have to be held under cold water for at least ..." a moan interrupted him. "Five minutes".

Morgan rolled his eyes and bent forward over the sink to examine the hand in question. He kissed his teeth when his eyes caught the blisters forming over the raw skin. Beneath the faucet, he could see how the raging red skin contrasted the natural paleness of the rest of Spencer's arm.

"Nah. We're going to the hospital, man." He shook his head and pulled back up beside a hissing Spencer.

"N..no, no..." Spencer started until he heard anxious voices behind them.

"Spence? Morgan? Everything okay?" Spencer flicked his head around to see JJ rushing over to them, with Emily in tow.

"Uh.." Spencer opened his mouth and glanced at his fingers which were starting to go numb from the cold water.

"It was my fault," insisted Anderson suddenly who was looking guiltily at his feet (which just so happened to be the only place the coffee had caught him.)

Morgan waved Anderson away. "Not your fault," he mumbled. He turned to the ladies. JJ was staring in horror at Spencer's hand -he was trying to position himself in a way that they wouldn't see the burns- whereas, Emily was trying to get by to wash her mug. She paused when she saw the coffee covered floor, as well as the fact that Spencer was blocking the sink.

"What's up?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"Nothin..."

They all turned on Spencer, giving him a look of 'seriously' and he shied away from them.

"Anderson accidentally bumped into him while he was holding a fresh pot of coffee," Morgan explained simply, his eyes still trained on Reid, who forgot the embarrassment of their prying eyes and was biting his lip and wincing; the waters soothing qualities were wearing off.

"Jeez," gasped Emily, leaning closer to get a look at Reid's hand; Spencer was in too much pain to try and hide.

"Didn't realise you were paid to clean the kitchen," chuckled Rossi, walking past the concerned agents and heading to the coffee machine. When his eyes caught the empty machine he sighed.

"Hah hah, very funny. Hide the coffee from Rossi. You do know that prank works better on Reid". Rossi frowned when no one else laughed; his frown deepened when nobody returned the coffee to its rightful place. He turned and his frown dispersed, his eyebrows skirting his hairline.

"Oh".

"Yea 'oh'," Morgan said.

"I'm sure it's been five minutes now, Reid," Derek insisted, focusing his attention back on Spencer and trying to remove Reid's hand himself.

"What's wrong here? We really need to get on with this case." The deep grumble of their boss came from behind them and Reid bit his lip even harder.

"Coming." Reid pulled his hand out from under the faucet and pushed through the crowd his team had formed, shaking the water from his hand and forcing a neutral look on his face.

"No you don't..." quipped Morgan, grabbing Reid by the shoulder and holding him there. _I guess he is as strong as he looks,_ Reid thought. Morgan grasped Spencer's right arm and hoisted it up for examination, unfortunately for Reid, the whole team had a front row seat.

Spencer peered at his painful hand and even he grimaced at the sight. The skin on the palm and fingertips was peeling off, revealing a fresh new layer under the wrinkled remains of dead skin. This new skin shone a vibrant red against the pale skin; blood pooling in small areas where the boiling coffee had burnt deeper. _Third_ _degree,_ Spencer thought. The back of his hand hadn't fared much better. The skin had managed to cling on most parts, but small blisters had started to appear over the crimson skin.

"Take him to the hospital," Hotch commanded, Morgan nodded in agreement. Reid opened his mouth to object, but he had everyone's eyes on him again.

"I'll get some ice," JJ offered, turning to the refrigerator.

"What are you all doing? I didn't realise lunch st... oh my god! Reid, you-your hand!" Penelope cried. Spencer pulled his hand from Morgan and tried to let it hang casually at his side, but as soon as it dropped he cried out.

"I'm taking him to the hospital now, Baby Girl," Morgan reassured her, holding Spencer's hand up again.

"I c-can't leave y-yet..." Spencer stuttered, his eyes narrowing as the burning intensified.

"I don't care. You're going to the hospital Reid," said Hotch sternly. JJ handed Morgan an ice pack, and he held in gently to Reid's palm, causing the young agent's knees to bend when the corner of his eyes darkened. Morgan held him up.

"B-but I-I know the location," Spencer stammered, blinking rapidly to disturb the blurriness settling over his eyes. Morgan was pulling him to the elevator by this point, ignoring his desperate pleas. Spencer wrenched his head around to the others, who were looking on nervously at his retreating back as they clambered into the elevator and the metal doors began to clamp shut.

"Brookbank!" shouted Spencer. "Brookbank far..." the doors slammed together cutting Reid off.

"What's he on about?" Garcia asked timidly.

"Something about a location. I don't know what for," Rossi scowled.

"Garcia, see what you can find on a Brookbank in Virginia. I want it pinned on the map," Hotch said. Garcia nodded and scuttled off to her lair.

"We've only been looking at this case for what? an hour?" marveled Emily, filling the coffee pot with water. "How can he have worked something out this soon?" she mused.

"This is Spence we're talking about," chuckled JJ, as she took a cloth to the coffee soaked floor.

* * *

Spencer held his hand up to his shoulder and sighed heavily. They'd been waiting two hours already. He dared not look at his hand, though he could feel it pulsating through the makeshift bandage and the two ice packs which had long since stopped soothing his wounds.

Morgan got up for the 10th time- as Spencer had counted so far- and marched over to the receptionist and back to the busy waiting room with a look of defeat.

"This is ridiculous! Your hand will fall off by the time they see you!" snapped Morgan, flopping angrily into his chair.

"Uh, not helping," hissed Spencer, moving his hand and sending a fresh wave of pain through it. Morgan gave the kid an apologetic look. He felt pretty guilty for this whole situation. If he hadn't drunk Spencer's coffee they probably wouldn't be there. A nurse nudged Morgan from his remorseful thoughts.

"Spencer Reid?" Spencer glanced up eagerly, ready to get checked in, out and back to the BAU. "The doctors ready to see you now", the nurse smiled closed lipped at him and directed them to an examination room.

Morgan launched himself onto his feet, grumbling "about time," to the cheerful nurse.

Spencer averted his eyes from his hand when the doctor started prodding and tutting at the injuries. Morgan's phone started ringing part way through the exam and he answered it.

"Hey Hotc-"

"No cell phones in here, sir," the doctor warned, not bothering to look up from Spencer's hand as he cleaned it roughly making Spencer's face screw up.

"We're with the FBI. It's important," bickered Morgan, indignantly. The doctor gave the deepest burn a final scrub (Spencer gasped audibly), and looked up wearily at the muscular agent.

"Rules still apply," he shot back. Morgan stormed from the room, never putting the phone down.

"Sorry Hotch, hospital rules. What's up?" Morgan glanced around to make sure no one could tell him to hang up.

"Before I tell you, how's Reid?" Morgan frowned and tapped his feet on the ground.

"Uh, he's alright, we've only just been seen, so I don't know the extent. What's happened?" He said insistently.

"The location Reid gave us, well turns out that it _is_ the unsub's next hit. The residence fit our unsub's victimology and it links up to the other crime scenes on the map", Hotch's voice was a mixture of confidence and pride.

"How the hell did Reid work that out, he'd barely even looked at the case," mused Morgan.

"That doesn't matter. All I know is that it all fits together...perfectly. If he follows his schedule he should be there already. _Morgan,_ we could get this guy before he strikes again", there was a childish excitement lacing Hotch's normally stony voice.

"Okay, are you going to check it out?"

"We're hoping to, we need you though," Morgan's frown deepened, he was feeling even worse for drinking the coffee; now Spencer couldn't even help bring the unsub down; the unsub who _he_ had found.

"What about Reid? he-"

"What hand did he burn?"

"His right hand, bu-"

"That's his gun hand. There's no way he can shoot," Hotch deadpanned.

"Do you expect me to tell the kid to go home?" Morgan growled. "He found this guy, Hotch. This is hardly fai-"

"Morgan, I'm thinking of his safety. I want you here in 15 minutes so we can head to Brookbank farm. I'm already sending Anderson over to pick Reid up and take him home," Morgan sighed deeply, _so he's planned everything already._

"He ain't gonna like this," was all Morgan said before hanging up and heading back into the examination room.

Spencer's hand was layered in thick white cream and his eyes were closed, the cream was certainly doing its job.

"How is he?" Morgan asked as the doctor bustled back in, causing Spencer to snap his eyes open.

"2nd and third-degree burns on his hand. Deep contusions. I wouldn't expect a quick recovery," he shrugged placing a bag of drugs next to Spencer.

"These are antibiotics to prevent infection. These are painkillers," he motioned to the two bags and Spencer pushed away the second with his good hand.

"I won't be needing those," he groaned, turning his nose up at the painkillers. Reid gave the two men a look and neither of them thought it wise to argue.

"Turns out you were right Pretty Boy. Our unsub is going to hit Brookbank farm next ", Reid nodded slowly, a feeling of dread coming over him. "I need to go with the others to bring him in. Anderson is on his way to take you hom-"

"I'm coming," glared Spencer.

"Sorry, Kid, Hotch's decision. And how could you help us with your jacked up hand?" another pang of guilt rinsed over the older agent. Spencer went to argue, but Morgan raised his hand. "Seriously Reid, just go home. We've got this. I really need to go," with that Morgan swept from the room so that Spencer couldn't debate his way out of their bosses decision.

* * *

By the time Anderson arrived, Reid was in the waiting room, trying to hide his pain. His hand was heavily bandaged in gauze and thick white cloth. He could still feel the steady burning, though the cream was still doing its job at easing that burn.

"Hey, Dr Reid. I just wanted to say again how sorry I am f-for uh...the-"

"That's fine. Just..." an idea filled Spencer's mind and he couldn't shake it off.

"Are you alright, Dr? Let's get you home."

"Anderson you know I forgive you right?" The older agent nodded cautiously.

"Well to make it up for me can you do me the smallest of favours. In fact, it'll probably work out easier for you."

Within 20 minutes Anderson was pulling up at the BAU, with a grinning Spencer beside him.

"I won't get into trouble for this, right?" Anderson asked nervously.

"Of course not, if anyone asks I forced you into this," Anderson grimaced and got out from the car hurriedly, attempting to open Reid's door.

"Thanks," Spencer chirped as he jogged to the elevator.

* * *

Reid skipped into the office, his friend's desks were empty, as was Rossi and Aaron's offices and the conference room. He darted off to the one place that was rarely empty; Garcia's lair.

"No, you be careful," Garcia hand a headset on and was typing away at her computer. She turned upon hearing her door open and gaped at Spencer.

"Reid! You-you're s-supposed to-"

"I couldn't just go home," Reid shrugged, keeping his white-clad hand behind his back.

Voices started shouting in Garcia's ear and she tried to shush them.

"Oh! Take this Reid. I think they want to- ALRIGHT! Morgan, just give me a minute! Jeez." she passed Reid a microphone and earpiece and offered up her black swivel chair which she'd decorated in pink tinsel.

"Reid here," Spencer said awkwardly, instantly wanting to facepalm himself.

"And what the hell are you doing 'here'?" Snarled Derek, kicking a tuft of dead grass by his feet. They were about to storm the farmhouse.

"Reid, I ordered you to go home," said Hotch, a glower upon his brow.

"As I've said before, I'm a doctor, and I didn't think I needed to go-"

"I told Anderson to take you home," grumbled Rossi, shaking his head, recall not the $20 he had slipped the agent.

"Don't blame him. I made him bring me back. Look I'm fine guys and if you thought that I would just go home then you don't know me at all," Reid quipped, he felt immediately bad for saying it. "What I-uh what I mean is that I want to help. I couldn't sit at home whilst you risked your lives." Spencer corrected himself sheepishly.

There was silence on the other end as they took in what their youngest said. _He is safe there_ , thought Rossi secretly.

"You are not to move from Garcia's office, am I clear?" Jibbed Hotch seriously. Spencer smiled, replying with a slightly smug "crystal".

"And if you go against my orders again, I _will_ suspend you, "Hotch added, this threat made Reid swallow thickly.

"Yes, sir."

He prayed they couldn't hear his voice quiver.

* * *

Spencer and Garcia remained quiet on their end, listening to the team as they began their search. They kept glancing at each other anxiously. Rossi and Emily went through the back, Morgan through the front and Hotch and JJ took the side entrance.

Reid suddenly felt very sick, knowing he should be with Morgan.

"No! Don't go in there!" Reid screamed suddenly into the radio. He swallowed and his free hand carded roughly through his curls.

"We're already inside Reid," came Hotch's confused voice. That's when the first shot sounded.

"No!" squealed Penelope, grabbing one of her many stuffed animals and clutching it to her chest.

"Get out! Get out now!" Spencer reiterated as he slammed his fists harder into his head. Another shot went off and then another.

"Please! Do it. Get out!" cried Garcia.

"Tell me everyone's okay," she whispered, taking Reid's hand in hers, forgetting his injury. Spencer seemed to have forgotten as well because he didn't recoil at the pain.

"You have to leave!" begged Spencer.

"No, Reid, we _have to_ get this bastard," crackled Morgan's voice through the radio.

"No! Get out!" he pleaded. Garcia was in tears already.

"There's a..."

The radios all went dead.

Spencer's heart practically stopped. _No, no!_

He held his chest with his palm tightly. It felt as if he was being torn apart like he had been in his dream.

He couldn't handle it, not again.

He closed his eyes. Shutting out Penelope's desperate sobs. Cutting the radio's muteness. Quetiening the sound of his heart palpitations.

Spencer shot up from under the covers, breathing heavily. He blinked into the darkness.

"What..." he mumbled, his voice cracking slightly from emotion.

He peered over to his clock.

6.27am.

Monday, September 13th.

* * *

 **Day 3 is coming, and things are going to get a little dark soon, you'll see why in the next few chapters.**

 **Sorry for the delay, I needed time to get my head around the next few chapters.**

 **Day 3 will be at your doorsteps in a day or two.**

 **Please leave a review, tell me what you think so far. Your support means so much!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **See you at 6.27am, Monday 13th of September, (don't worry I won't take that long, that's just where Spencer is at the moment)**


	3. Day 3

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)**

 **Day 3! Woo hooo! Poor Spencer! I don't really have much to say, so on with the show!**

* * *

 _No! No, no, no, no! This can't be happening!_

Spencer sprung out of bed and bashed straight into his chest of drawers. He collapsed to the floor, clutching his side painfully and cursing the furniture.

"Stupid drawers. Stupi-" he sat up, his lip trembling with fear; _deja vu_.

"This _is_ happening", he whispered fearfully out loud.

Spencer pulled on his clothes, not bothering with a shower. He darted from his room, but halted at the doorway. He looked down at his feet. His toes lay dangerously close to a stack of hardback books, which he'd stubbed his toe on twice the days before. He cautiously stepped around them, before hustling back about to collect what he needed for work.

Spencer decided not to take his usual route to work. He crossed the street, heading for the opposite sidewalk as opposed to the sidewalk he normally walked down to the left of his apartment. His feet touched the zebra crossing just as a bus tore ahead of him. Spencer had to jump back to avoid the massive, blue, 8-wheeler as it shot across the road. Spencer shook his head at the retreating vehicle as it spun around the corner and out of sight.

 _So this is what I get for changing my routine,_ he thought, frowning deeply.

* * *

Spencer got to work later than he normally did. He sat at his desk and glanced at the clock 8.22 a.m. He hissed and gritted his teeth at his tardiness.

He pulled the first file from his stack, opened it and then slammed it shut quickly. It was the _exact_ same file he'd checked and filled out the day before, and the one before that.

"What's wrong with me?" He whimpered quietly to himself, slumping onto his desk, his head pressed to the now uncompleted files.

"Late night Spence?" Giggled JJ as she hopped by and over to her desk.

"Uh, something like that", he grumbled, pretending to act busy so no-one would disturb him. When he was sure no-one was looking he turned on his computer.

 _And what the hell are you looking for,_ he thought to himself pessimistically. _What even is **this?**_

He typed several things into his computer, but each one came up with a fictional movie where the protagonist was trapped in a 'time loop' as they called it.

"Urgh", he sighed, rubbing his face hopelessly.

Moragn walked in then, both his and Spencer's files were piled high and left to catch dust.

"Just in time, as usual my Chocolate God! Your Godess of all things technical has a case for her subjects", Spencer winced at her cheeriness and put on a false smile for her.

"What's this? The doctor hasn't finishe-"

"I'm working on it", jibbed Spencer, before Garcia could pry further. The glittered analyst, shut her mouth quickly, trying to hide the hurt that flashed over her face.

"We all have those days", she simpered, hurrying up the stairs to the conference room.

 _Great,_ Spencer thought. He'd upset one of his friends already and the day had only just begun.

* * *

Garcia started briefing, but Reid wasn't listening. He opened his file and flicked through. His heart started beating faster and he could feel a sweat break out across his brow.

 _Same case. This is the same case,_ he thought. He stood up abruptly, his eyes glued to the file.

"Brookebank", he whispered, Hotch frowned at his agent.

"Spence?" JJ looked up at the younger agent who had suddenly got to his feet.

"I-this..." he stuttered, motioning frantically to the file and running his fingers through his hair. _Calm down, calm down. They won't understand,_ he said to himself.

"What?" Rossi and Emily questioned in unison.

"I-uh..." he glanced at the confused looks on his team mates faces. "Bathroom", he mumbled before rushing from the room. His gaze lowered as not to catch looks from his friends.

He got to the men's restroom and paused. He could feel eyes on him already.

 _Get out,_ he thought to himself. He made a bee line for the elevator, pumping his legs quickly as voices erupted behind him. He got through the elevator doors just as they closed and smacked the ground floor button.

 _Get out! Get out!_

* * *

What's up with him?" Emily scowled as Spencer diverted his path to the exit. Morgan was chasing after the young genius and JJ was calling him back. The others just watched; mouths agape.

Rossi turned to Hotch, who was looking into the file he had given Spencer.

"The hells gotten into him", mused Rossi, stroking his goatee thoughtfully.

* * *

Reid staggered out of the building, jogging along the sidewalk, stealing quick glances behind him. Soon enough, Morgan barged through the doors, his head sweeping left to right for his best friend.

"Ah hah", he hissed, catching a pair of familiar brown eyes which held a look similar to that of a deer caught in headlights. Morgan was the car and he was heading straight for the deer (AKA Reid).

The deer skirted through the small shuffle of people, as the car pushed boisterously to gain on its prey.

Spencer broke into a run, as did Morgan.

"Reid! REID!" Spencer heard the insistent yelling from behind him, but he didn't stop. Morgan may be athletically fitter than Reid in every way, but Spencer was smaller, more agile and sneaky. One minute he was rushing down the street in a crowd of pedestrians the next he had vanished.

Morgan put on his breaks when he got to the end of the block, his eyes flashing back and forth for the brainiac. Morgan knew the kid couldn't have out ran him, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

Reid huffed out in relief as Morgan sprinted straight past the alleyway he was grovelling in. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to ease his pounding heart.

He slunk on down the alley to the other side and started walking. Exactly where he didn't know. But he had to clear his head.

* * *

"Morgan? Morgan? Over here! Where's Spence?" Morgan came back through the entrance where JJ had been waiting and skulked to the elevator.

"Derek!?" JJ nagged the ignorant agent, who turned and gave her a look that almost made her cower.

"I don't know where the kids gone", he snapped angrily. "And I don't know about you, but I don't think he wants to talk to us." The darker agent folded his big, muscular arms over his chest, watching the floor buttons light up.

* * *

Spencer walked for at least an hour until his head finally felt better. He made a quick detour into a coffee shop, (having not made one at work). He decided to go back to his apartment and see if the day would restart and prove his current hypothesis. Glancing around he realised that he was a mile or two from his apartment and so he used the map engraved in his memory to guide him home.

Throughout his walk he had a niggling feeling that kept creeping up on him. He felt awful for running away from Morgan -his best friend- like he had.

For around the 17th time Reid's phone buzzed. This time he pulled it out and gave it a quick glance: Hotch.

Spencer grimaced and slid his phone back into his pocket. He didn't want to deal with his boss right now.

* * *

"This is hopeless. We need Reid", sighed Emily, rubbing her throbbing temples.

"What we need is a geographical profile", Morgan grunted.

"Yes, and unless _you_ can do the maths; we need Reid", grumbled Rossi.

"Well he ain't answering, Rossi."

"I still don't understand. Was the case too much for him or something? He doesn't just up and leave", Rossi looked around at the others for support. They were all as bewildered as he was.

Garcia bustled in at that point, a laptop in one hand, cables over her shoulder and a mug of coffee in her second set of purple sparkly fingers.

"Thought I'd join my little crime fighters", she smiled. "Anything from Reid? I can track my little boy genius if-" Morgan cut her off with a shake of his head.

"Nah, Baby Girl. If he wanted to be found he'd answer his phone", he bitched grumpily. "Oh", was all Garcia could reply, hoping her young genius was okay. Silence ensued for several moments.

"Garcia, pull up anything you can find on Brookebank". Hotch ordered, remembering what Reid had said..

"On it, Boss Man. Uh...why?"

"Something Reid said", Rossi muttered, raising his bushy eyebrows.

* * *

Spencer got into his apartment and sprawled over his bed, sighing deeply.

He was sat with his book and a bowl of cereal when a realisation crossed his mind.

 _Brookebank_.

He'd let that slip in the conference room, but... _no they couldn't have_. Spencer bounced from the couch, spilling milk and cereal across the wooden floorboards. He tore over to his kitchen counter, fumbling around for his cell-phone, his mouth still bursting with a spoonful of milky cereal which he hadn't had chance to swallow.

 _Where is it?_ He thought, throwing several books from the counter as he desperately searched. _I don't forget_ , he thought to himself, _I put it here_. His foot landed on something hard and he reeled back before his weight caused the object to crunch beneath his foot. He bent down and grabbed his phone, flipping it open and wincing at the number of missed calls.

He pressed speed dial.

Suddenly he felt extremely nervous. _This is your best friend_ , he thought. _Yea, best friend who you've ignored all day_. He closed his eyes as the phone rang.

Morgan glanced down at his lap.

Incoming call: Reid.

Morgan, desperate to answer it, ignored the buzz.

"Morgan? Aren't you going to answer that?" Frowned JJ, who could hear the faint vibration. Morgan simply shook his head. She glanced over to the front pasenger seat as the call ended.

"Derek! That was Spencer!" She cried, grabbing his phone. He let her nab it, just shrugging his shoulders. Hotch peered up into the rear view mirror at JJ.

JJ called Spencer, only having to wait one ring.

"Spence!" She smiled. The smile soon disappeared when she realised what he'd put them through. "Where are you? Why on earth did you run away like that? Do you even know how worried we've been? Spencer Reid answer me!" Spencer looked down at the phone sadly, at a loss for words.

"JJ, tha-that doesn't matter right now. Where are you?" Spencer chewed his lip waiting for a response. JJ gaped at the phone.

"I asked you fir-", she began to bicker.

"JJ I'm serious. Where are you? Please tell me you're still at the office".

"No. We're on our...look, Spence, I have no idea how you figured it out. I can tell that this case hit you hard for some reason, but you _can_ talk to us you know. You don't have to run off like you did." JJ's voice became soothing, a motherly tone setting in.

"JJ, please tell me you're not heading to Brookebank farm", Spencer hissed.

"You were right Spence. You should have just told us, it would've made life a whole lot easier. Right now I don't care how you knew, just come back, okay? I want to see you at the bureau when we get back."

"No! JJ, you can't go there. Promise me you won't! JJ! JJ?" Spencer looked down at the phone and saw that she had hung up.

"Shit". He threw his phone at the wall in a fit of rage and rubbed his eyes roughly. _You've gotta stop them,_ his brain commanded.

He shook his head of anger, replacing it for determination as he rooted through his desk drawer, pulling out a key.

He only used his rusty heap of a car for emergencies; this was one of those times.

* * *

Morgan slid out the car, glancing down at his phone.

"Wait up guys", he murmured, dialling the most recent number.

"Morgan?" Spencer's voice trembled slightly and sounded smaller than normal.

"Where've you been?" Morgan deadpanned, hating how unemotional he sounded.

"I-I uh. I-it's hard to explain", Reid whimpered, biting his lip savagely.

"Fine. Don't expect me t-"

"No, Morgan please.." Spencer's voice lifted to a high pitch as he pleaded. Morgan didn't have the heart to hang up.

"Morgan, Morgan. You're not at the farm are you?"

"Why should I tell you? You haven't told us-"

"Morgan! Get out of there! Please-"

The phone went dead suddenly. Morgan frowned down at his phone. His call had been dropped.

"Damn it", he moaned. He looked up to find his team mates giving him confused looks.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go."

* * *

Spencer threw his phone down onto the seat next to him; the screen was already cracked from its collision with the wall just an hour earlier.

He smacked the steering wheel hard with frustration, inaudible grunts of anger escaping his lips. He shook away these feelings, stomping his foot onto the acceleration.

* * *

Spencer slammed on his breaks when he caught sight of his team's SUV's. He loaded his glock speedily and shimmied from his creaky vehicle.

Everything seemed quiet; too quiet. An eerie silence had settled over the area, but Reid felt sure that it hadn't been silent for long, he felt the tension that gunshots left behind; call it a sixth sense.

"Morgan?" He called out cautiously. Silence.

"Hotch?", he edged closer to the house, his gun raised. Still silence.

"JJ? Anyone?" He was bordering the house slowly. His eyes caught sight of the side door open and he shuffled closer. Everything remained silent.

"And who are you?" Spencer heard the clicking of a gun dangerously close to his ear. His eyes glanced towards the noise, finding the butt of a gun levelled a few inches from his head.

"I-I'm..." Spencer recalled that their unsub had a god complex, therefore he would be prepared to take out anyone who he believed to be above him socially.

"I live in the area. I-I heard the gunshots. I don't mean any harm", he tried to downplay himself as much as he could whilst his body trembled with fear. His eyes caught the slight movement of the gun being lowered.

"I've been dealing with the vermin. You'll understand", Spencer went to answer when an explosion spliced though his ears, throwing his entire body up into the air.

Reid was falling through the air as the sky filled with brilliant Oranges, reds and pinks. Flames licked up at the navy night sky. Spencer landed painfully on his side, opting to keep his eyes closed against the blazing heat and ferocious flames.

He swore he heard something/someone scream. A woman. _JJ!_

Spencer let out a cry, so full of pain and anguish that he felt his own heart tear a little. His eyes snapped open on the fiery scene ahead of him. Brookebank farmhouse was gone. The tattered remains tried to stand their ground, but the flames blackened the wood, forcing the farmhouse to its knees, along with everything within.

"NO!" Shrieked Reid, clambering to his feet and stumbling off towards the house. _Morgan! Hotch! JJ! Emily! Rossi!_ His friends. His family.

He knew they were gone. The sane part of his mind could see that everything inside the farmhouse was obliterated. But the emotional and unstable part of his brain (which had been taking control most of the day), desperately wanted to jump into the soldering ruins and dig his loved ones out.

"It had to be done. They thought they were superior. This proves that they are not. They couldn't beat me. They-" the unsub was cut short from his speech by a dull, wet smack. He gazed down at his chest where a hole had appeared and blood was bubbling. The unsub looked up in dazed shock. Spencer dropped his glock to the floor and watched as the unsub fell to his knees. Blood dripped from the man's mouth before he collapsed all the way into the dead grass. He didn't get up again, nor did he move.

The only movement was from Spencer, who rushed up to the still burning house and searched desperately for his team.

His fingers graced a dark arm and he tripped backwards, cowering away from the limb. He closed his eyes and felt a sudden rush.

Spencer practically lept up out of bed, sweat lacing his body and the bed covers.

He grabbed his alarm clock and gaped at it.

6.27a.m.

Monday 13th September.

* * *

 **Day four is on its way. Just a warning Day 4 _is_ going to be a dark one. (Just a little tease.)**

 **Thanks for reading. Please leave a review and maybe that'll convince me to upload sooner. Sorry I shouldn't blackmail ;D.**

 **Anyway, thanks to all the reviewers so far. I'm glad you guys like it.**

 **Thank you Tannerrose5, I have planned this whole story out, but your suggestions are always insightful.**

 **A thank you to trauzlly for your reviews. I'm sooooo glad you like it, I hope the rest of the chapters live up to your expectations.**

 **And thank to lottycharl, (I think we may have the same name!) ;D thank you for your review, I hope it was meant in a good way. I read your profile and totally agree that people should review more often. I have started doing it with the fics I read. I am planning on checking yours out.**

 **And thank you to all the guests who have reviewed.**

 **I love you all!**


	4. Day 4

**(Disclaimer: I do not own criminal minds of its characters)**

 **I'm just going to go ahead and apologise for this chapter. I'm not saying anything to give anything away in this chapter, and considering all the death in the last three, I assume you're all prepared for something along those lines.**

 **This chapter was one of the first things that I decided on in this story. I kinda built the story around this chapter, because I wanted to see something like this happen, but at the same time I didn't want it to be real. (I know it's confusing.)**

* * *

Spencer dropped the alarm clock and just stared at the wall opposite. Millions of things popped into his head at once and he couldn't process any of them.

"I can't do it..." he muttered, rocking himself gently in bed. His mind was bouncing around, statistics flying here and there and he couldn't think straight.

"Not anymore..." he hissed quietly, pulling his hands over his ears to quieten the incessant noise in his mind.

 _Tell them,_ a voice of clarity broke through the disjointed madness in his brain. _Show them,_ it insisted.

Spencer nodded, pulling his hands from his ears and trudging out of bed. He walked in a daze, sidestepping the chest of drawers and avoiding his toe burrowing into the books.

 _Tell them, show them,_ he chanted inside his head, which kept him going and got him out of his apartment.

He paused on the sidewalk, glancing over the the street opposite. He paused.

"3...2...1", he whispered and a bus suddenly zoomed by at lightening speed. He grinned to himself. _M_ _aybe this isn't so bad,_ he thought to himself.

* * *

Spencer got to the office a minute late, he saw his team already in the conference room and he veered up the steps.

When he got through the door and saw his friends faces he knew he couldn't tell them; he didn't know how and it was... _crazy._ No-one would believe him.

"Ah! What's your excuse? You're never late", chuckled Rossi as Reid collapsed into his seat.

"It's one minute, Rossi", grumbled Spencer, glancing behind him and then under the table. He felt extremely on edge. Rossi raised his eyebrows, and exchanged a bewildered look with Morgan, Emily and Hotch. Spencer didn't notice this look as he was scanning his surroundings nervously. _No hot coffee. No slippy floors. No bombs. I'm safe,_ he thought, suddenly realising how much he sounded like his mother that it scared him. The others had been watching his strange behaviour and quickly turned their attention back to the case when Spencer settled.

Spencer bit the inside of his lip as he flipped open the file. Hotch was still watching his agent, his frown deepening.

"He's targeted law en-" Garcia was interrupted by Reid's file slapping shut. Spencer was glimpsing back over his shoulder, his fingers carding through his hair.

"Reid?" Hotch chided, anger in his voice.

"I can't do this again", he whimpered, taking his face into his hands.

"Do what? What's wrong?" Morgan asked confused, he went to touch Reid, but the kid flinched away from his touch, whipping his head around cautiously.

"It's happening again! I don't want to do this again! P-please don't make me", he begged, rising to his feet and pacing slightly.

Hotch and Morgan stood up now, becoming increasingly worried for their agent.

"Spen-"

"Stop. No, wait. This has happened. I've been here. It was a drea-it...no..." he chewed his nails and his pacing became more rapid.

"You're not making any sense Kid. What did you see in that file?" Rossi pursed his lips. Normally he'd get frustrated with Spencer's ramblings, but this was different; this wasn't their normal Spencer.

"This case! It's the same", Spencer threw his arms in the air with exasperation. His hands quickly began running over through his hair again.

"4 days! I've read this exact file 4 days in a row. You have to believe me", Spencer knew he wasn't making any sense, but he couldn't stop himself. Once his mouth opened the ramblings fell out and he couldn't take them back. It felt good to tell someone, but why was everyone was staring at him?

"We all died! T-This guy...he'll kill us!" Spencer looked up as if he'd said the most obvious thing ever.

"Reid, we always run that risk. I don't think you're in the right state of mind to be on this case", Reid turned his wide, tawny eyes on Hotch. _I shouldn't of said anything,_ his breathing picked up pace and he could feel himself panicking.

"I'm not crazy!" His bottom lip trembled slightly as he said this. The expressions on his co-workers faces changed from confusion and worry to apologetic looks.

 _No_! He thought, his breath hitched as a panic attack set in. _They think I'm...no_! Reid's whole body shivered now, he had to swipe the sweat from his brow as it began to pour, his hand holding his chest as it heaved irregularly.

"We don't think that Spencer", Emily's voice was filled with too much sympathy for Spencer's liking. _She never sounds like that_ , he thought.

"I-I can p-prove it!" He cried, Hotch frowned and took a step towards the clearly paranoid agent.

"The d-day always restarts when I die." Reid unholstered his gun, and everyone jumped back. He quickly aimed the gun at his temple, his finger ready on the trigger. Screams filled the conference room.

"Spencer Reid, do not pull that trigger!" Shouted Hotch.

"REID!" That was Morgan.

"Spence!" Squealed JJ.

Those voices were most prominent and they prevented Spencer from squeezing the trigger.

 _What am I doing_ , he thought. His lips parted slightly and his eyebrows knotted together when his eyes met the butt of his own glock.

 _This wouldn't of worked_ , his mind told him. All that would happen was the day restarting, or worse he'd die. _Is that really worse?_ , came another thought, which he tried to push away.

 _They'd never know about this by tomorrow_ , a tear slid down his cheek.

"I-I h-had to s-show..." Spencer started to explain himself as Morgan gently pulled the gun from his shaking fingers. Morgan was also shaking.

Clearly Spencer's brain couldn't take much more and he passed out.

* * *

Spencer woke up on something comfy. The hard floor he had collapsed on had been exchanged with the leather couch in Hotch's office. He could feel a damp cloth folded across his forehead. The voices in the room kept Spencer's eyes closed. He acted as if he was still in a deep sleep; holding his eyes steady beneath his eyelids and keeping his breathing calm and regular. He listened to the voices and realised it was Rossi and Hotch.

"Are we making the right decision", he heard Hotch mutter. Rossi cleared his throat quietly.

"I've called them, Hotch. If I'm completely honest, There isn't anything else we could really do. We all knew this could happen", Spencer forced his eyebrows not to frown at Rossi's sincere tone.

"But, he coul-"

"Hotch. Have you ever seen the kid act like that? I've seen plenty of schizophrenics", Spencer jolted at that word, luckily the older agent's hadn't been looking in his direction. "And Spencer's behaviour was... it...he profiled as a paranoid schizophrenic, Hotch. And with his mother's condition, it's a no brainier." Spencer's heart almost stopped. _Inter-team profiling is forbidden, it is our only unspoken rule,_ his head tried to distract him from the reality of his situation.

"He was almost past the age...the average age...I thought he'd survived it", Hotch spoke sadly.

"We can't control these things. Not even genius Dr Spencer Reid could have prevented it. This was always out of our hands" Rossi croaked glumly. Hotch closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'll head down to the bull pen and wait. If he wakes up make sure he's calm; this will be hard enough...for all of us. Oh and..." he lent over to Aaron. "Keep all weopens away from him", Rossi tucked his lower lip under his top one to cease the quaking.

Spencer heard the door shut gently and with that he shot up.

"Reid? Reid, are you alright?" Hotch was beside him, frowning at Spencer.

"Hotch, why don't you believe me?" Spencer's eyes widened at how small his voice sounded.

"Reid, you-"

"Listen Hotch, I'm telling the truth. I watched you all die yesterday and then I woke up an-and it's happening all over again...it's-I... I kept dying...you-"

"Spencer calm down. You're not well. Look at me, look-" he pulled Reid's face towards him which stopped his head flicking back and forth nervously.

"You're a genius. Listen to what you're saying. It's not possible. I can't even understand what you're talking about. Just calm down-"

"No, no! I know it's impossible...it goes completely against what I believe in. B-but it's happening. It..." Spencer shut his mouth. He was making no sense and he knew it, but he didn't know how else to explain it.

"L-let me explain, please." Spencer begged. Hotch took a brief nervous look over his shoulder, he knew he shouldn't play into a paranoid schizophrenic's fantasy. He raised his eyes sympathetically and held his face as he would when he told Jack he couldn't have something.

"No. This has gone far enough. You scared the team and now you're scaring me. You're causing more harm th-"

"I'm sorry! Please, just let me explain. I need to tell someone", Spencer squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head into his palms. "I c-can't take much more of t-this..." he mumbled.

Hotch put a gentle hand on Spencer's shoulder.

"Let me help you", he patted the boy's shoulder. Reid took his hands from his head and looked up at Hotch. He could feel anger bubble through him all of a sudden, he was fed up of the patronising voices he was being talked to with.

"I don't need your help!" He snarled, shrugging off Hotch's hand. Hotch's expression didn't change and Spencer felt his anger boil.

"I'M NOT CRAZY!" He shouted, getting to his feet, Hotch followed the action, holding his arms up as he would to an unsub.

"Spencer, calm down", Hotch was mindful of the looks his office received from the bullpen.

"You think we should help?" Emily whispered to Rossi. Rossi glanced up to their bosses office and saw Spencer stood with terrified, yet angry eyes, and Hotch beside him, his arms up, trying to defuse the situation.

"No. Let Hotch deal with it. It's best not to crowd Reid."

"Calm dow...You're not listening to me! You don't care!" Spencer realised he was being paranoid. _Well they think I am anyway_ , he thought.

"Of course I care. We all do."

"Then why won't you listen?" Spencer's voice trembled and he had to force the tears not to spill over. He fell back into the couch and covered his face.

"Spencer, you're not making sense. Y-you and I both know... it's hereditary. It's not your fault...", Spencer caught on to what Hotch was saying instantly.

"No Hotch. It's not that...it's not..." Spencer looked up into his bosses eyes; they no longer looked at him as they used to; like he was a fellow human. Now they looked on sympatheticaly. He recognised that look, he'd often used it on his own mother. _No, I'm not like that,_ he thought.

Spencer's big brown eyes caught the men that had just exited the elevator. For the umpteenth time that day, Spencer felt his heart in his throat. His eyes darted desperately to Hotch

"I'm okay, Hotch, I'm okay. Please don't send me away! Please," tears fell past the barrier Spencer had been holding up and Hotch felt his heart break.

Hotch sat on the couch next to Spencer. Reid could see in the corner of his eye, Rossi and Emily talking to the men and pointing subtly to the office they were in. _Anything but that,_ he thought.

He gave the room a quick sweeping peek, his eyes landed back on Hotch and he formulated a plan.

 _They will not take me._

"I just want to help you", whispered Hotch, placing a firm hand on his shoulder; making sure Spencer couldn't shy away from him this time. Hotch looked over to the door, seeing Rossi making his way over, with two men in tow. He never realised how distracted he was, he'd let his guard down and now he was going to pay for it.

He felt a weight suddenly lift from his foot and his eyes bloomed with panic.

"No, Spen-" he was cut off by a gun shot. He closed his eyes as blood peppered his face. _Spencer's blood._

Hotch opened his eyes slowly and instantly wanted to close them again. He grabbed the body in front of him, trying to shake it back to life.

Spencer's eyes had slid shut after the bullet lodged itself into his brain.

"Oh god, no, no. Spencer, Spencer! Wake up!" Hotch gathered the young genius into his arms and held the limp body close. Blood began seeping from the small hole in his head.

"HOTCH!" Collective yells came from outside of his office as he clung onto his youngest agent. Hotch shook Reid more vigorously, wishing the young man in his arms would wake up before the team saw him this way.

He heard footsteps behind his door.

"NO!" He shrieked. "D-don't come in here!"

* * *

Morgan glanced up from his desk as two men walked in, dressed in white, with hard stonic faces. He swallowed thickly and peeked at Hotch's office. _You're doing the right thing,_ he told himself, a sudden nausea washing over him.

JJ chewed her lip as she watched Rossi and Emily walk over to the white clad men and begin directing them to her Spence.

Garcia clutched onto JJ's arm and tried to hold back her hot tears. They still managed to cascade down her cheeks. _Sorry Spencer. I'm so sorry._

Rossi took the first step to Hotch's office when a sudden gunshot rocked the bureau. Everyone froze, their eyes locked on where the shot had come from; Hotch's office.

"No..."muttered Rossi.

"HOTCH!" Screamed Morgan and Emily.

"Spence!" Bleated JJ, a sob escaping her tight throat.

 _Please, don't be...please,_ Morgan's mind raced as he lunged for the office.

"NO! D-don't come in here!" His bosses voice sounded much too constrained.

Morgan ignored the older man's pleas and flung the door open. He halted in the threshold. He felt Rossi barge past him as he was frozen to the spot.

Dr Spencer Reid. JJ's Spence. Garcia's Boy Wonder. Rossi's Kid. Hotch's expert in just about everything. Emily's best friend. Morgan's brother, lay cradled in Hotch's blood soaked arms.

"Jesus Christ! Spencer! Kid!" Rossi pulled the kid from Hotch's arms laying him gently on the floor and feeling for a pulse. Morgan and Hotch could only watch.

"Keep them back!" Ordered Rossi as Emily's head poked into the room and she let out a strangled cry. Morgan didn't move, neither did Hotch. JJ, Emily and Garcia slipped in and the room filled with heart broken cries. Garcia had to run back out to be sick.

"Rossi, please tell me he's alive...please", begged JJ as she collapsed to her knees, despite Emily's attempts to hold her up.

"Christ! Morgan! Get them out of here", bellowed Rossi, digging his fingers deeper into Spencer's neck which was beguinning to develop a slight chill. _Come on, come on._

"Rossi..." Hotch whispered. Rossi kept searching for a sign of life. He pressed his ear to Spencer's chest.

"Dave!" Snapped Hotch, pulling the Italian off his youngest. "It's too late!"

"What the hell did you do!" Shouted Rossi, shoving Aaron back.

"I-I h-he..." Hotch couldn't find any words. He looked up to see the older Agent glaring at him, his eyes filled with tears. He'd never seen David Rossi cry.

"I t-told you! N-no guns!" Spluttered the Italian, his hands gripping the dead young man's arm.

"You let him get it!", the older agent pointed an acusing finger at Hotch. "T-this-this is your fault, Aaron!" He shoved his boss again, this time in a much weaker attempt. Rossi's arms fell away for Hotch and slumped to his sides as tears fell thick and fast.

Hotch's tongue felt fat and heavy. He couldn't answer Dave, but he agreed with everything he had said. _This is my fault_ , he thought to himself pitifully. He just nodded at Rossi.

"I tried...he saw them..." Hotch attempted, but his tongue denied him anymore

"This is my fault", mumbled Rossi through teary eyes. "I called them...I-I-" Hotch cut him off by taking him into a hug; Reid still bleeding between them. Rossi broke into a sob, which he tried to stifled.

Hotch looked down at Spencer. He looked as if he could be sleeping. _Heck he needs it,_ thought Hotch, examining the heavy bags beneath the kids eyes.

He looked peaceful. He could've fooled anyone if he didn't have a hole in the side of his head with a steady stream of thick crimson flowing down his hairline, forming a pool around Aaron and Dave.

Garcia's cries reached them through the open door.

"No! He can't be...he can't be d-dead", Morgan was by her side holding her as she heaved into the trash can. "No, Derek, I just spoke to him...he was fine! He was alive!" She screeched. Morgan just held onto her, not having any words to comfort her, his own heart breaking.

"Emily-let me... let me go!" Growled JJ. Prentiss reluctantly loosened her arms, feeling her own tears fall. JJ skidded over to Spencer, kneeling beside him, her hands quivering over his paleing body.

"Oh Spence..." she whispered, collapsing over his body and wrapping her arms around him. She clung to the warmth that would soon leave him.

"I'm sorry. Oh god, I'm so sorry", she whimpered, holding him tighter. No-one was in a good state and Hotch decided to take the unpleasant task of pulling JJ off their dead friend. This was now a crime scene.

"No! Don't touch me!" Shrieked JJ, fastening her hold on Spencer.

"We broke his heart!" They all looked guiltily at the floor. JJ looked up, her eyes puffy and red, a piece of her heart had been stolen from her.

"We killed him!" She sobbed. It took a minute for her to continue, her breathing becoming ragged and untamed.

"We killed Spence!"

They world around them seemed to freeze. Slowly the agent's who had been watching the scene disappeared with an engulfing blackness. Hotch and Rossi extinguished first, then Emily, then Garcia and Morgan, leaving JJ and Spencer.

Slowly she vanished, leaving Spencer lay in complete blackness. He twitched his fingers. The intense pain in his head evaporated and he felt himself floating.

 _Am I dead?_ He thought, allowing himself to float in the suffocating darkness.

The darkness was suddenly exchanged for a blinding light.

* * *

Spencer opened his eyes to find his white ceiling above him and his soft brown bed covers around him.

He touched his skull which had begun pounding painfully.

His eyes rolled groggily over to the clock.

Monday 13th September.

6.27a.m.

* * *

 **I should probably have a precaution here; I'm afraid time doesn't work like this and therefore if one was to shoot oneself, one would DIE! For real! So don't do it.**

 **I just thought I should say that. Oh and also, I don't promote suicide. This is just a story. ;)**

 **Okay, now that's all out of the way, thanks to everyone who has read this story!**

 **I thought it would be cool to write the aftermath of Spencer's death even though it's not real.**

 **Updates will be coming in regularly, so if you want to stay in the know follow this story or put it on alert so you don't miss out on the next chapters.**

 **Day 5 is coming soon. The next chapter is going to be happier, I mean it still has death, but also a bit of (morbid) humour.**

 **See you then!**


	5. Day 5 and 6

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)**

* * *

Spencer reached his limit at Day 5. He was tired, fed up and frustrated. He woke up at 6.27a.m again, bumped painfully into his chest of drawers, stubbed his toe on the stupidly placed hardbacks and to top it all he spilt his coffee. He didn't even care at that point, he just wanted it all to end so he could go back to his semi-normal life. He stumbled out of his apartment, not even bothering to lock the door.

He glanced bitterly at his usual route to work and turned, opting for his alternative way on the street ahead.

He walked out into the road and this time he didn't miss the bus. It smashed right into him. He was blinded with pain and nausea as he was torn this way and that, and crushed by the speedy bus. He felt his body slam into the floor.

Spencer lay on the rough road, topped with speckles of glass from where the side of his head had broken the window. He groaned, opening his eyes to find a cloudy blue sky above him. _Great,_ he thought, praying the white light would escort him from his current world of pain.

"I...he...wasn't looking..." stuttered the bus driver, gazing down at the broken form of Spencer Reid.

"You were speeding!" A young man yelled raising a shaky finger at the bus driver, having fled the bus.

"That doesn't matter now!" Snapped a middle aged woman, placing her jacket behind Spencer's head, which was creating a puddle of blood. "Call 911! Hey, hey, what's your name?" Spencer couldn't reply, he just looked up at the sky with fading brown eyes.

"You hold on now, ya hear!" A man's voice called from beside him. They all seemed so far away. He felt the rushing sensation which was becoming normal to him. He basked in the rich white light that showered him and he sighed.

He opened his eyes to his white ceiling and his alarm clock reading 6.27a.m.

* * *

 _Day 6,_ Spencer brought his hands to his head and buried it in them, his fingers tugging at his messy hair. Something had to give.

 _Can't tell the team,_ he thought miserably, memories of the day before last swirling in his mind.

 _I can't tell anyone._ He peeked through his fingers at the bright sun shining through his curtains.

 _I can't wait. I won't watch them die again,_ he concluded angrily, pulling himself out of bed.

"I will not wait to watch them die", he made for the kitchen, narrowly missing the chest of drawers, yet still managing to stub his toes.

He grabbed the keys for his car, snatched up his glock and cellphone and skidded out of his apartment, still in his pyjamas (bar a jacket he'd slipped on).

He was still a bit rusty on the roads, not being a big fan of driving, though his determination seemed to be driving the car alone.

His phone buzzed suddenly, causing his hands to jolt on the wheel, almost sending him into a ditch. He glanced briefly down to see Morgan's number lighting up the cellphone. Spencer gritted his teeth and turned his attention back to the road. His mind was locked on one thing and one thing only; Brookbank farm.

Spencer parked his car in front of the seemingly empty farmhouse. He left his cellphone, which began to buzz as Hotch called.

Reid paused at the porch, scoping the area for any signs of danger.

Slowly, he reached for the door handle. He let the door swing open, aiming his gun at the dimly lit hallway.

He took a step through the door, the floorboards moaning beneath his weight.

He focused his gun into the first room which was eerily familiar from when he was shot several days before. The room was silent and empty. In fact all the rooms were the same.

Spencer holstered his gun in his waistband and sighed. He shuffled to the kitchen to wait for the unsub's arrival. On his way his eyes graced the carpet in front of a small cupboard door and the small stain of blood that had seeped into the worn, blue carpet. Reid whipped his gun back out and pulled open the door, only to jump back with a yelp when a body tumbled out.

He tucked his gun back in his pyjama pants and tried to pull the man up.

Reid felt cold blood drip over his palms from the deep slashes in the man's chest. Spencer puffed his cheeks out as he tried to force the much heavier man back into the cupboard. His eyes found another body, hidden away behind the man and he dropped the dead weight, holding his bloody hands over his mouth.

He recognised the faces of these two individuals. One was Adrian Shepard, a police officer, and his wife Carla Shepard. He had seen them when he and Garcia had been researching Brookebank farm on the first day of his never ending nightmare. Spencer swallowed thickly, imagining how these people had been killed several times over the repeated days.

"Well, well, well", Spencer's head snapped to the side, his hands still at his face. The Unsub skipped from out of the shadows with a malicious grin.

"FBI!" Reid yelled, going for his glock which wasn't in his normal holster. He remembered that he'd slipped it in his waistband but the unsub was tantalisingly close so he let his arms go slack, a vulnerability creeping over him without his weopen.

"Well, I knew you were coming, but I didn't think they'd be stupid enough to send one agent out here. Pretty poor choice of agent too. Look at you, you're ganglier than a stick of celery. I could take you down with a plastic spoon", snorted the Unsub, giving Reid the once over and deciding he was pathetic. Spencer gulped, trying to hide the hurt on his face.

"They didn't send me. I found you on my own. And for your information an average plastic spoon is made from high-impact polystyrene and would break before you could do any damage to me. However, in past societies, such as Egyptian and British, spoons were used to symbolise power and stat-" Spencer stopped himself abruptly when the Unsub revealed a gleaming pen knife from his pocket, examining it boredly.

"So what can you tell me about knives?" He asked, raising his jagged eyebrows and grinning, his silver teeth standing out proudly.

"Kn-n-knives were acqu-acquitted with acts of a-aggression", stuttered Reid nervously, taking a step back to give him a wide berth from the knife.

"Interesting...", the Unsub ran a finger over the blade. "Who knows you're here?" The unsub locked this eyes back on Spencer, who trembled.

"My team...they know. I-I told them this location," Spencer lied, twiddling his fingers behind his back.

"I wonder where your friends could be?" Snickered the unsub, reaching his left hand behind his back and pulling a gun from his waistband. Spencer tried his best not to panic. _You should've fired when you had the chance_ , he thought bitterly. He formulated a plan and put on his best acting face. He looked past the unsub and out of the window eagerly.

"They're here!" He whispered, just loud enough for the unsub to hear and for him to take a look in the windows direction. Spencer's hands went straight for his own waistband where he had concealed his gun. His loose pyjama pants had other ideas and Reid barely managed to grab hold of the gun. This slight hesitation was all it took to destroy his plan.

Just as his hand readjusted on his glock and he was pulling it out, a gunshot rang through the air. Spencer stumbled back by the force of the bullet slamming into his chest. He slumped to the floor, heaving out laboured breaths.

 _Shit,_ he thought, as blood filled his dry mouth and he felt his pyjamas moisten with blood.

"Don't mess with me, kid", Spencer's eyes were too blurred to see the figure above him as it spoke. They couldn't focus on the gun being re-aimed at his head, nor did he see the finger tease the trigger before slamming into it with experienced ease.

Spencer squeezed his eyes shut. He kept them that way, even when the bright light permeated his eyelids as opposed to the dark farmhouse. He kept them closed after the pain vanished and his body felt comfortable once more. He sighed into the dream world he'd been transported to, wondering if it was finally over.

* * *

Spencer jolted awake in bed. The relaxing dreamland fading away. His alarm read 6.27a.m, he groaned in frustration.

"Day 7", he groaned, holding a pillow to his face. An idea sprung in his head all of a sudden and he gently removed the pillow and furrowed his eyebrows.

Through his gritted teeth he hissed; "I'm going to end this."

* * *

 **Day 7 is on its way. Then there is one more chapter after that. I've already written that final chapter.**

 **Sorry for delays, I haven't slept in over a day and I'm super jet lagged, but glad to be home in England!**

 **Im just taking today (Tuesday) and tomorrow off. You'll get this by Thursday. And the. I'll try my damnest to get another chapter out by Friday or Saturday.**

 **Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. Please keep reviewing, it makes me soooooo happy!**

 **Until Day 7, Goodbye!**


	6. Day 7

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)**

 **This is the final day (not neccersarily the last chapter, I haven't decided how to end this just yet...)**

 **I have a few ideas, so there may well be 2 alternative endings, which I will post if you guys want.**

 **The ending I'm going with is the one that I originally thought of, when I was imagining this story this is how I imagined it would end, so without further ado, here is Day 7.**

* * *

Spencer worked his brain like a wild fire that morning. His minds kept doubting his ideas, a painful headache beginning to pillage through his skull and in the end he took a shower and brewed some coffee.

He looked at his outfit layed out for that day, the same that he'd worn for seven days. He shook his head at it and rummaged around in his wardrobe. He found the shirt he was looking for and grinned.

He stood in front of the mirror and smiled at the black shirt spotted with small multicoloured aliens. He shrugged on his cardigan, grabbed his glock and messenger bag and headed out to work.

 _Today will be better._

* * *

Reid got to his desk and found a drawing lay there. He glanced around and saw only Hotch who was busy on paperwork in his office. Spencer frowned, sat down and examined the picture. A warm smile spread over his lips. The picture was drawn by a child and depicted two people, one taller than the other, holding hands and smiling, stood in front of a park. There were little images added on to the picture, which wouldn't make sense to most people, but to Spencer they did.

There was a magic wand and a pack of cards, along with a poorly drawn chess board and loads of books here there and everywhere, filling the picture with colour. Beneath the two people there were words. Spencer squinted to see what it said.

 _To uncel Spenc,_

 _Get bettr soon_

 _Love Henry_

Spencer smiled at the childish handwriting and the little errors in spelling. He looked closer to make sure he was seeing it right. _Does Henry think I'm sick?_ He thought. _Maybe it's an old picture JJ forgot to give me,_ he didn't let this plague his mind, because the drawings just kept making him smile. He slid it into his draw, taking one last look, before starting his paperwork.

Morgan got to work to find his files complete, and waiting in his out tray.

"What the-" he started just as Spencer danced around his desk and took the complete files. The kid already had quite a stack in his arms.

"D-did you do my paperwork?" Morgan asked in bewilderment. Spencer looked up innocently and smiled.

"I was bored and you were late", the young man shrugged as if it was no big deal and hurried off to the elevator. Morgan raised his eyebrows at the genius as he scuttled away and grinned. His eyes also took in the strange shirt the kid had on, and he could only chuckle lightly at the young man's style.

"Hey wait, I'm not late!" He called after Reid with indignance, he heard the kid giggle as he lept inside the elevator.

"We have a case my sweet truffle. Where's boy wonder?" Morgan whipped around to find Garcia with her own handful of files, standing unsteadily on her new orange heals.

"He's dropping off paperwor- what the hell have you got on your feet?" Morgan was having a good gander at the atrocities decorating her feet. The orange heels looked like Halloween pumpkins, with led lights for eyes and gaping black mouths over Garcia's toes.

"I don't know, I just felt spontaneous..." for the second time, Morgan received a shrug and was left in the upmost confusion.

* * *

Reid dashed into the conference room and took a seat, he glanced at the file and the TV and knew it was the same case, but today he was unfazed by it. In fact he was more drawn to the beauties on Garcia's feet. This was the first time that any of the team had deviated their outfits. Everyday that he had seen them during his nightmare, they had always worn the same.

Everyone began throwing in suggestions, but he kept his eyes on her feet, a strange comfort washing over him.

"Reid?" Hotch frowned at Spencer and followed his eyeline to Penelope's shoes. "I think your shoes are distracting-" Spencer snapped out of his daydream.

"Sorry!" His eyes skimmed the file and then returned to Garcia. "It's not Halloween yet", he pointed out with a smirk.

"I know. It's just, I had this weird feeling. They were calling to me", she winked at him.

"Halloween is my favourite holiday. In terms of popularity it rivals only Christmas", he added.

"I know it's your favourite", she frowned slightly, "it's not mine though", she muttered thoughtfully. Reid shared her frown. _Why would she wear them if she doesn't like Halloween that much. It's not even Halloween,_ he shook his head. _This is Garcia,_ he thought to himself, remembering how crazy she was.

"Okay let's get to work-" Spencer interrupted Hotch yet again, but the older agent didn't frown any deeper than usual.

"I'll start on the geographical profile", he announced. Spencer hopped out of his seat and within seconds he'd set up a map and was circling areas. He had to pretend that he was only just working it all out as he pinned Brookebank farm.

"We need to figure out why our unsub is hitting law enforcement officers", Hotch said. Reid desperately wanted to answer, but didn't want to raise any suspicion. Painstakingly, he allowed his team to throw about suggestions as they had done the first day.

"Looks like a classic god complex, if you asked me", mused Rossi. Spencer nodded to himself, waiting for Morgan to speak.

"So he's targeting men high up in the law because he wants to prove he's above them", Morgan added and Hotch was nodding with him.

Spencer sent his mind back to the first day and began scribbling down all the equations he had originally written so that he wouldn't be questioned on how he located Brookebank.

"Jesus Spence! Slow down", JJ gasped as Spencer's hand flew across the two boards, writing jumbled equations on one.

"Search for Brookebank farm", Spencer said to Garcia, who shook her head of confusion and started typing as Reid continued to write.

"Uh...H-Hotch", Garcia looked up at her boss who managed to pry his eyes from their genius. "It matches", muttered Garcia. She turned on Reid who was finishing labelling the map. "How did you-"

"I had a hunch", Spencer shrugged and narrowed his eyes at the map, pretending to check.

"Pretty good hunch", snorted Rossi.

"What is it?" Asked Emily, slightly dumbfounded.

"Brookebank is our unsub's next hit", Reid explained, leaning over Garcia to look at the inhabitants. He grimaced at the sight of Adrian and his wife smiling in a seemingly recent photo. _They're dead,_ he thought to himself, and images of their mutilated bodies bombarded his mind.

"He's right Hotch. It all fits. Adrian Shepard is in law enforcement", Garcia typed away, seeing what dirt she could dig up.

"And the geographical profile leads directly to the farm", Spencer informed them, taking his seat again.

"Geographica- how in the hell did you make a geographical profile that quickly!?" Exclaimed Morgan, staring at Reid like he'd grown a second head. Spencer bit his lip, _maybe I should have waited_ , he thought.

"He is our little genius, Derek! Don't doubt my boy wonder", Garcia chided, smacking Morgan's shoulder lightly. Spencer mentally sighed in relief, _Garcia to the rescue._

"How much coffee did you have today?" Hotch asked with a ghost of a smile dancing on his lips.

"Better question is; how much sugar has he had", laughed Emily, recalling how Spencer had done some of her paperwork, along with some of JJ's, all of Morgan's and all of his own. _The kid must be on some sugar overload_ , she thought.

"If this is the next place, what are we waiting for?"

They all pulled on the vests and got ready to leave, hugging Garcia before they went (she'd insisted). Spencer rounded on his desk and grabbed his glock from the drawer. He paused for a moment, frowning at his desk.

"You coming Pretty Boy?" Morgan called over his shoulder as he opened the glass door. Spencer's fingers traced the small tardis that sat on his desk and the Dr Who action figure next to it. He heard the elevator ping and jogged over to Morgan.

"Did you put that stuff on my desk?" He asked, hopping into the elevator with his team.

"Huh? What stuff?" Scowled Derek and Spencer shook his head, releasing a small "nevermind".

* * *

They got out of the SUV's and approached the farmhouse slowly. They separated as they had several days before. Spencer took a deep breath preparing to put his plan into action.

"Reid try the door", Spencer did as Moragn said and turned the handle gently. Morgan barged in and Spencer closed his eyes before entering. He heard a familiar zip and crouched suddenly. A wet thud followed and Morgan tumbled to the floor.

"Derek!" Spencer screeched, climbing over to the agent. _This isn't part of the plan,_ he thought desperately. Morgan waved him off, holding a hand to his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers and staining his dark skin.

Spencer looked over the couch and there he was, the unsub was stood with his gun aimed at Reid. Spencer felt rage boil up within him and he flicked his gun up, firing off a shot into the hallway.

The unsub squirrelled down the hallway and Spencer scrambled to his feet and chased after him. He grabbed his mic and called to Rossi who he knew was going around the back.

"Rossi! He's heading your way!"

Reid dashed across through the hall as a shot sounded from the kitchen and a figure tore into one of the bedrooms. Spencer followed after him.

The room was empty. Spencer saw the bomb ticking down.

2.25 minutes.

He turned back to the door as it slammed. He raised his gun, as did the unsub.

"Put it down!" Ordered Reid, holding his gun steady as the unsub locked the door.

"This isn't how it's meant to happen", mumbled the Unsub, his dark glare burning into Spencer.

"Put your weapon down and your hands in the air", Reid repeated calmly, looking back at the bomb he bit his lip, but kept his eyes focused on the increasingly paranoid man in front of him.

"I knew you were coming!" The unsub stapped, repositioning his gun. "Why d'you think I set this all up? I wanted to have my fun", he sneered, taking in Reid's skinny frame.

There was a shout from somewhere in the house.

"Hotch get out and stay back. Theres a bomb", Spencer said calmly into his radio, agitating the Unsub.

A voice crackled back, barely intelligable, but the panic was there.

"We're not going anywhere".

"Hotch, please! Get the others out of here, we don't all have to die."

"Shut up! Just shut up! Shut up, shut up!" Yelled the unsub, his hands going to his head.

"I won't ask you again. Drop the damn gun!" Snarled Spencer, a burning passion in his growl. The unsub shook his head violently and hitched the gun up.

"y-you can't beat me! I'm-"

"You're not God! You're not powerful, you're weak!" Spencer spat and he could see the shock register on the Unsub's face.

"How dare you! I-I'm... strong! You're weak! I mean" he snickered shakily, "l-look at you..." the unsub stuttered, taken aback by Spencer's words.

"You are nothing but a murderer! You think that choosing whether someone lives or dies makes you strong, but you are wrong! You don't have that power!"

"Y-yes I do!" Screamed the Unsub, beginning to tremble more at Reid's unforgiving tone.

"No. Not anymore", Spencer pulled the trigger.

The unsub caught onto what Reid was about to do, and managed to fire off his own shot before he went down; a bullet biting into his chest, tearing through blood vessels and sinking its teeth into the left ventricle of his heart. It stopped beating soon after that.

Spencer also went down. He could feel the foreign object penetrate the flesh of his abdomen and embed itself deep in his body. He squeezed his eyes shut and took in a sharp breath, groaning in pain.

"Reid? Reid! Agent down!" Spencer heard Hotch's voice trickle through the radio and he groaned more.

"GET OUT! B-BOMB!" He shrieked into the radio. He heaved out a breath, his eyes fluttering. The doorhandle rattled and his eyelids yanked up.

"We won't leave you Spencer", that was Morgan's voice. Reid sighed and eyed the bomb nervously.

25 seconds.

Spencer's breath hitched in panic. "STAY BACK!" He yelled, as bangs started coming through the door. He began dragging himself across the floor, ignoring the crimson trail he was leaving in the yellow carpet.

He reached up to the bedside table, his bloody fingers slipping off the polished wood.

"Nahhhh", Reid moaned as he collapsed to the floor. He prized his head from the soothingly soft carpet, his eyes catching the timer.

10 seconds.

The door banged once more, muffled yelling leaking through the door frame. Spencer gritted his teeth, so much so that he felt his back molars break slightly under the pressure. He took a deep breath and reached his hand up blindly. He caught the wire between his fingers and pulled the bomb down.

5 seconds.

The bomb clattered to the floor and Reid curled himself around it. He felt it beeping softly against his chest. Warmth kept seeping out of his wound and pain surged through his body.

Spencer closed his eyes.

The door banged and cracked slightly.

The bomb beeped down to it's last seconds.

Reid let out one last breath.

The whole world went black.

TBC?

* * *

 **Sorrrrrrry! Cliffhanger alert, oh wait I should have put that before.**

 **Sorry if it wasn't very good, I had bad writers block and I knew I just had to get this out there. I hope it wasn't too bad.**

 **Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, they make me so happy. I hope you're all enjoying this story.**

 **Please leave a review on what you thought, the more reviews the quicker I post the next chapter (oh shoot, am I blackmailing again?) ;)**

 **Thanks for your patience. See you all soon...**


	7. Waking Up

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)**

 **Sorry, that was a tad cruel of me to leave yesterday's chapter the way I did. Omg, look at this, I'm actually updating my story the next day, I haven't done that for a while!**

 **Thank you for all the reviews!**

 **As promised, I will not be leaving the story there, I have a little more to explain. Some random things in the previous chapter will make more sense now.**

* * *

Spencer drifted in bliss. Everything was dark and silent, and he let the blackness seep around his body.

 _Is this death?_ He thought to himself reaching his fingers out tenderly. _This isn't so bad,_ he opened his eyes a crack and saw nothing, nothing but darkness. _This isn't so bad,_ he thought again, this time he was trying to convince himself. He squeezed his eyes shut against the omitting dark and prayed for an ounce of light.

His body began to tremble, no longer enjoying the absence of light, which had previously comforted him.

 _I saved them_ , he said to himself, trying to calm down, and distract his mind from the darkness. He saw their faces in his head; his friends; his family. He hoped that he had taken most of the blow from the bomb. That _he_ was the only one to die. His bottom lip trembled at the thought of any of them having died. He'd already watched them die twice, he would _never_ see it again.

A quiet beeping floated to Spencer's ears. He opened his eyes -his breath hitching at the blackness- and glanced around for the sound. The last beeping he remembered was the timer on the bomb he'd held bravely against his chest, and the synchronised beating of his heart, thumping alongside the diminishing seconds. A shiver strayed through his body and he closed his eyes again, trying to push the sound away. The sound grew. The beeping became stronger, until it sounded as if it was in his ears. Spencer shook his head and whimpered, forcing his eyes to remain shut. He wiggled his fingers and toes, but realised he couldn't move the rest of his body; he was much too tired. He moaned again as the incessant beeping increased somewhat.

Spencer dragged his eyelids open again, preparing himself for the bleak darkness. His eyes flew open when they caught the ounce of light he'd been searching for. The darkness above him had broken away and in its place was light; soft, peachy huhs of light. He felt himself relax, the beeping no longer agitated his uneasy mind. He could feel his body twitch with happiness.

 _"I swear to you! I saw it that time! Didn't you?"_

A muffled voice echoed down from the pretty bubble of light. Reid frowned and shifted himself so he could hear it better.

 _"Hotch, you saw that right!?"_

 _"Yes, but the doctor said that it may just be nerves. JJ, we may have to accept that he's not there anymore"._

 _JJ! Hotch!_ Spencer quaked with joy. His friends! They were there with him. He tried to call out but his throat felt blocked and he couldn't speak. He closed his eyes and focused very hard on moving the other parts of his body, all the while he listened intently for the voices of his friends.

 _"Well at least call a nurse. We both saw him move. I'm not giving up on him",_ Spencer sighed at JJ's sweet voice, laced with passive aggression. He smiled at the thought of her, a twang of sadness paced through him when he realised how much he missed her.

 _I want to talk to her,_ Reid thought unhappily, and he scrunched his hand into a fist.

 _"Hotc-"_

 _"Okay, okay, I saw that. I'll call the nurse."_

 _"Spence? Spence, can you hear me?"_

JJ's voice suddenly sounded much clearer as if a fog had lifted. Spencer tried to open his eyes again, but found them immensely heavy now, and his body ached with pain; especially his head. He could feel a hand entwined with his own and he focused all his energy into squeezing the hand back.

"Spencer!" He heard someone gasp, they were close to him. Reid shifted again, sensing something soft beneath him and feeling wires stroking his arms.

"It's okay Spence", gentle fingers traced his hairline, pushing the soft bangs from his face. "You can wake up. Open your eyes. Please, Spence", Spencer moved his lips slightly, trying to reply, but the tube stuffed down his throat refused to obey his need to speak. He could hear footsteps making their way over.

"Miss Jareau, I'm afraid-"

"No! Please! Look at him! He squeezed my hand a-an-and I saw his lips move! It's not his-it's not!" JJ was begging for him. Spencer frowned at the desperation in her voice and he grasped JJ's hand tighter. The room fell silent.

"See", came JJ's small, pleading voice.

"Spencer? Spencer, can you hear me? I'm a nurse, you were in an accident. If you can hear me squeeze my hand", Reid felt a second hand slip into his limp one and he concentrated on the wrinkled fingers in his palm, willing his muscles to clench. He let out a quiet whimper as he struggled. His fingers twitched and a quiet gasp was released.

Suddenly, a bright light broke through his closed eyes as they were forced open. He hissed at the stinging it caused, closing his eye quickly before she moved onto the next.

"Umph", he groaned when the light was taken away, but bright orbs still remained on his vision.

"Reid?" Hotch called, but the nurse pressed a button and scooted the older agent back from Spencer's bedside as she bumbled around. Spencer groaned again as a fierce agony tore through his skull.

"Bmmm... bo-o...mmm" Spencer moaned around the tube in his throat, as he struggled with the pain.

"What's he saying?" Hotch asked as Reid mumbled to himself. Spencer peeked through his eyelids, the light was too much and they slid shut. He barely registered the small mumblings he was emitting.

 _Bomb!_ He thought to himself, and he tried to say it more insistently.

"b-bmmmm...bomb", he whimpered. He tried to open his eyes again when a cruel pain sliced through him. He gritted his teeth and cried out in pain, his trembling fingers reaching for his head. His hand was met with a crinkled, cream bandage, wrapped tightly around his head. Reid lightly tapped the spot that hurt and he panted in agony when the tiny tap echoed in his skull, and the broken skin beneath the bandage pleaded for mercy.

"Dr Reid-" Spencer felt his fingers pulled away forcefully by a new hand. He squinted around to see a burly man in a white coat, holding his hands away from his firmly wrapped up head. Reid - unfamiliar with this new person- struggled against him and hissed out in pain when he moved his head too suddenly.

"Stop! You're upsetting him!" That was JJ. Spencer had closed his eyes again, unable to deal with the pain light caused him. Spencer tried to speak and breath on his own, to tell them what happened. He started to splutter on the ventilator and he panicked.

"He's just confused!" A tearful squeak sounded from another part of the room. _Garcia?_ He tried to speak again, and convulsed when he choked on the tube. He felt something sharp in his arm and he instantly felt calm. Spencer stopped struggling and gave into exhaustion. He could still feel intrusive hands upon him. Instead of fighting he let his head sink back into the safety of the crisp, white, hospital pillow and he fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Spencer opened his eyes; the light didn't hurt this time. He rolled his head over to look at his alarm clock. He expected to see 6.27a.m to be gazing back at him, instead a drawing stared back, lent against a vase of colourful flowers.

Reid swore he'd seen that picture before. Two people holding hands, with all of his favourite things drawn around them.

He jolted up with realisation, reaching out for the drawing.

"Oh my God! Reid!" A squeal filled the quiet room. Reid turned to the door, his head pounding. There in the threshold stood Garcia, a balloon in one hand, her purse in the other and a smile caked across her face. She looked as if she was about to explode- _explode,_ Spencer grimaced- pop with excitement. Reid's eyes were drawn down to her feet where she had on a pair of bright orange heels, designed to look like pumpkins.

"Gar-" Spencer swallowed, trying to moisten his sandpaper like throat. "-cia", he coughed out, wincing in pain as the words revebeated across his exceedingly sore windpipe.

"Oh, honey! I've got just the thing", Penelope left the balloon at the door, and scurried over as best she could in 5 inch heels. She fiddled with something on the bedside table and presented him with a plastic cup of water. If Reid had any moisture in his mouth he would have been drooling over the deliciously cool liquid.

"Oh wait," Garcia pulled the cup from Spencer's out stretched lips and the genius pouted, suppressing a childish whine. She stuck a straw in the cup and held it in front of his mouth. Reid took it gratefully and greedily sucked up the contents, marvelling at the coolness on his tongue. "Slow down, tiger. Go easy", Garcia was smiling, relief practically oozing from her every pore.

"Thanks", he whispered breathlessly, falling back onto the pillows.

"No, thank you for waking up! You had us so worried. They thought you might not-" Garcia bit her lip, holding back tears. "That doesn't matter now".

"Wha- happ'nd?" Spencer slurred, laying his head back comfortably on the pillow.

"Dont you remember?...oh well I don't suppose you would, you've been asleep for a week", Spencer's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"W-wha!?" He gaped.

"Do you remember falling down the stairs?" She asked, looking anxiously at his head, although he looked a lot better than he had 6 days earlier.

The day of the accident they'd insisted on staying with him. His head had been wrapped up in several thick layers of bandage and even then light pink stains were visibly seeping through the layers. His cheek and eye had sported a dark blue bruise, as did much of his torso, arms and legs. Several small cuts littered his body, and his wrist and leg were hidden in solid, concrete thick, casts. Garcia had burst into tears for the third time that day when she saw the tube down Spencer's throat; breathing for him.

The first day the doctors had told them that Spencer probably wouldn't make it through the night. The second day it was announced that Reid was in a coma. The third they said not to keep up any hopes. The forth and fith day, the team ignored the warnings and waited. The sixth day the doctors told them that Spencer most likely had irreparable damage to his brain and that he may not wake up, let alone recover.

On the seventh day the Doctors came to Hotch and gave him a choice. Hotch, being Spencer's emergency contact, had the ability to make medical decisions on the youngsters behalf. They offered Hotch the option to turn off the machines.

Garcia gulped and shook her head of the last week. Spencer, who had nodded, remembering slipping down the stairs on the first day, watched the tech analyst curiously.

"Well, we all heard you fall down the stairs. JJ got there first and you were-were uh, bleeding and I-it was a lot of blood, Reid", she said seriously. "You had to have emergency surgery. I don't remember the details. They said something about a pressure build up on your brain and I-I kind of zoned out when they said you may have brain damage." Spencer's fingers shook. "They let us visit you after. It wasn't until the second day that you slipped into a coma,"Garcia hid her face, trying to banish the tears. "It's been like that ever since. They were close to turning your machines off". Penelope put a hand on Reid's shaking one.

"But you're going to be alright now. We're going to help you through this, you got me?" She planted a kiss on Spencer's forehead, and pulled away as not to hurt him.

"Y-you've been here? This entire time?", he whispered in disbelief.

"Of course we have! You're _our_ baby genius!"

A thoughtful, calm silence followed as the two appreciated each other's company.

"I guess my lucky shoes did work", grinned Garcia, tapping her heels together, like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

Spencer looked down at the pumpkin shoes."huh?" He murmured.

"I wore these because...well...I had this feeling. I know Halloween is your favourite holiday and I wanted them to be the first thing you saw", Garcia's cheeks burned red as she smiled. Spencer looked up at her face in awe.

"Thank you", he simpered. Garcia couldn't hold back anymore and she wrapped her arms around his skinny form, pulling him tightly to her chest.

"Hey, are you leaving us out?" The two broke apart from their hug to see Emily and JJ walk in with identical cups of coffee.

"I c-could do with o-one of those", Reid smirked motioning to the coffee.

"Uh uh!" Prentiss scolded, taking a massive, teasing swig.

"Don't ever do that again!" Chided JJ, taking over the hug and breathing in Spencer's soft, unwashed hair.

"I-I'll try", Spencer sighed, his eyes burning as tears threatened to spill. JJ wiped her own tears away and took in Reid's appearance.

"You still look like hell warmed over."

"Lay off the Kid", they all glanced around as Rossi barged in, his face lighting up at the sight of Spencer sitting up. Hotch was close behind.

"'M fine...as long a-as you get me s-some coffee", Spencer gave the Italian his best puppy dog eyes and Rossi chuckled lightly.

"Sorry, Kid. As much as I don't like listening to the doctors, I think they're right about the no coffee rule", Spencer slumped back and pouted.

"'Cus they've been right so far, haven't they?" Grumbled Emily, sipping her coffee and cursing Reid's doctors.

"Now, now feisty", snickered Garcia as she dove into her purse. Spencer took the oppertunity to look around his room whilst his team got comfortable.

He caught sight of the drawing Henry had made him and he smiled.

 _To uncel Spenc,_

 _Get bettr soon_

 _Love Henry_

 _So that's what it was,_ he thought.

Just past the art work was Dr Who memorabilia, which he'd found on his desk the day before.

"W-where did t-they come from?" He stuttered, pointing weakly to the figurines. Rossi's grin widened.

"Believe it or not, our own Derek Morgan brought these for you. Between you and me, I think they're from his own personal collection", Garcia, JJ and Emily laughed, Hotch shook his head, but a ghost smile hung from his lips.

"Speaking of whom, where is my Hunka Hunka burning passion?" Snipped Garcia, pulling a blue frosted cupcake from her bag.

"He's on his way. I called him earlier when Spence first woke up", JJ fiddled with the flowers on Spencer's bedside table.

"I don't think that's a good idea", Hotch frowned at the delicious looking cupcake, which had Rossi and Emily drooling.

"Aw, come on Hotch, he's just come out of a coma and he can't even have just one cupcake!" Teased Rossi, making his own impressive puppy dog eyes.

"T-thanks Garcia, b-but I'm alright", Spencer winked at Penelope who huffed out dramatically.

"Who's going to eat my amazing baking skills?"

"I volunteer", yet again they all looked over at the door, where Derek was now jogging in.

"Reid!" He yelled, rushing over to his best friend and suffocating him in a hug.

"Easy", warned JJ protectively.

"Jeez kid, I didn't think you were going to wake up", confessed the older man. _Neither did I,_ Reid thought.

"Sorry", he mewed.

"You're forgiven, as long as you never take the stairs again", Prentiss ordered and Reid was in no position to argue with her.

Spencer shifted himself so he was more comfortable. His leg felt heavy and oddly itchy. He wiggled his toes and felt the scratchy cast holding his leg in place. His right wrist also had a cast on, but he could still move his fingers. His head hurt the most; a dull throb resonated from where he must have hit it days earlier. However, the pain seemed to have numbed considerably.

Rossi took a seat, slurping his coffee, before focusing on Reid. "So... are you going to tell us what you've been up to with your 7 days off?"

"I had this crazy drea-... no, n-nightmare", he muttered, frowning at his fingers as the meomories from his 7 day nightmare resurfaced.

"Aaaaand?" Rossi pushed.

"I-its a bit graphic", grimaced Reid.

"Hello! We work at the BAU", smirked Emily.

"It's a little long", The team rolled their eyes.

"We have time", Hotch said and a very rare Aaron Hotchner smile graced them with its presence.

Spencer took a deep breath and started "Well...I woke up Day one at 6.27a.m. "

Fin

* * *

 **What did you guys think. I tried to make the ending happy.**

 **Thank you everyone who has reviewed. Especially last nights chapter, I was so overwhelmed with everyone's response. I hope I did the story justice.**

 **See you soon with a whole new story! (Hopefully not at 6.27a.m. this time)**


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